Speaking
A human on the podium.
Russ Michaels speaks on AI, authorship, and self-government — which decisions belong in human hands, and why.
The keynote
Who Sings the “We”? Optimized Out of Your Own World
Quincy Jones hung a sign over the biggest voices in the world — check your ego at the door — and they made a song no perfect singer could. Put today’s AI in that studio and every note is flawless. So is the danger: a partner so good you hand over your part, one choice at a time, until the decision quietly stops being yours — and you never feel it leave. The law’s name for a choice that’s yours in name only is undue influence. Which decisions do you keep? Check your ego. Keep your voice.
- The undue-influence test — run live on your own AI-assisted decisions.
- Silent Deferral — how authorship transfers with no alarm, no villain, no bad result.
- Autotune for your judgment — perfect pitch, no range, and why range is the point.
- Self-government — what to hand off, and what stays in human hands.
Formats
Keynote
A 20–45 minute keynote for technology, ideas, and leadership stages.
Panels & fireside
AI and human agency, the future of professional judgment, law & technology.
Private rooms
Boards, partnerships, and teams working out what to hand to the machine — and what to keep.
About the speaker
Russ Michaels
Founder of Vault Human. For over twenty years Russ has led organizations — as a CEO, Executive Director, and Board President, and as an attorney, still practicing. He speaks as an operator and a builder, not a theorist: someone who has raised capital, run teams, and stood with people through the decisions that constitute a life.
Full speaker kit, topics, and video available on request. Read the thinking behind the talk in Writing.