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Keynotes by Deborah Mateja. 

I bring the latest AI research out of the lab and into the real world—clear, practical, and always human-centered. Whether it’s breakthroughs in human–AI interaction, new forms of creative collaboration with AI, or the ethical foundations we need for trustworthy AI, I turn complex concepts into insights people can act on. Combining deep academic expertise with years of experience in digital consulting, I translate innovation into impact and help organizations understand what’s possible today - and what truly matters for tomorrow in the AI era.

I offer the following topics as keynote speeches or panel contributions (flexibly available in German or English, and with customized focus):

The Art of the Unexpected: Creativity in the AI Era

This keynote explores the latest advances in generative AI research and what they mean for creativity and innovation in modern organizations. It will translate emerging technological trends into practical insights for users, developers, and leaders navigating the rapidly evolving landscape of human–AI creativity.

Draw Me Like One of Your Biased Models: Ethical Challenges and Responsible Design of AI

This keynote explores the latest research on the ethical challenges emerging across modern AI systems - from biased training data and inequitable model outcomes to opaque decision-making and accountability gaps. Building on these insights, it introduces responsible AI design as a practical, forward-looking framework for addressing these issues. 

Human + AI: The New Organizational Playbook

This keynote examines the evolving dynamics of human-AI collaboration and what they mean for decision-making, problem-solving, and creative work across modern organizations. It will distill emerging insights on how AI is reshaping individual cognition and team workflows, while offering a practical organizational playbook for leaders seeking to adapt structures, processes, and culture to the AI era.

previous invited industry keynotes (excerpt)

Microsoft, 2026 (planned): The Art of the Unexpected: Creativity in the AI Era

Bosch, Level Up AI Event, 2025: The Times They are A(I) Changin: Creativity in the AI Era

Rotary Club Mannheim, 2025: Fashion Design and AI

Competence Network for University and Media Didactics Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, 2025: The Art of the Unexpected: Generative AI and Creativity

AI-Slam, bwcon Rhein-Neckar, 2024:  AI for Fashion Design: How an Industry is Transformed in the AI Era

Ministry for Schools and Education of the State of North Rhine Westphalia, Bezirksregierung NRW, 2023:  Exploring the World of AI and its Implications for Educational Policy

Bosch, People and Culture Event, 2023: Exploring the World of AI and its Organizational Implications

Kehrer Design Academy, 2023: AI for Fashion Design: How an Industry is Transformed in the AI Era

Vocation School Ludwigshafen, 2023: Understanding AI and its Ethical Implications

Hightech Summit, 2021: LogoAI: Introducing an AI for Interactive Logo Design

previous invited academic talks (excerpt)

"This IS Excellent" Research Network, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 2026: The Role of Processual Constraints in Human-AI Creativity

Brown Bag Seminar, University of Passau, 2025: Agency Shifts in Human-AI Creativity

Symposium on 'And There Was AI: Minds, Machines, and the Reinvention of Creativity', AOM 2025: Draw Me Like One of Your Biased Models: Biases in AI Art 

Symposium on 'Innovating with AI: Exploring the Impact of Generative AI on Creative Processes', AOM 2025: Draw Me Like One of Your Biased Models: Biases in AI Art 

"This IS Excellent" Research Network, University of Cologne, 2025: The Art of the Unexpected: Exploration and Coverage of Search Spaces in Human-AI Creativity 

Symposium on 'Innovating with AI: Exploring the Impact of Generative AI on Creative Processes', AOM 2024: Converging Non-Expert Creativity with Skillful Generative AI: Design Principles for the 

32nd European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS), 2024: The Role of Ego-Involvement in Evaluating AI Creativity

Research Colloquium, University of Hawaii Manoa, 2024: Generative AI: Creativity Booster or Creativity Killer? An Exploratory Experimental Study

37th AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence, 2023: AnimateSVG: Autonomous Creation and Aesthetics Evaluation of Scalable Vector Graphics Animations for the Case of Brand Logos

International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS) Doctoral Consortium, 2022: Human-Machine Creativity: Investigating Effective Creative Collaborations

academic lectures (excerpt)

Digital Innovation: Master's lecture (since Spring 2025)

Corporate Knowledge Management: Master's lecture (since Fall 2025)

Global Digital Technology Management: MBA lecture (since Spring 2025)

Master the Future: AI and Sustainability from a Strategic Perspective: Executive continued education (since Fall 2025)

organized and facilitated workshops (excerpt)

Organizing for Innovation in the AI-Enabled World:  AOM Professional Development Workshop - annual since 2025

The Art World as a Lab for Understanding AI's Impact on Creative Practices and Organizations:  AOM Professional Development Workshop, 2025

Reimagining Creative and Knowledge Work in the Age of Generative AI:  AOM Professional Development Workshop, 2024

Innovating with AI: Exploring the Impact of Generative AI on Creative Processes:  AOM Symposium - annual since 2023