Keynote Speaker · AI, Higher Ed, and Open Ed

We've Been Here Before

What the last technological revolution can teach higher ed leaders about the current one.

110+ Keynotes
22 Countries
6 Continents

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Talks

Talks built for higher education.

Keynote

"We've Been Here Before: What the Last Technological Revolution Can Teach Us About the Next One"

60-90 minutes · for institutional and organizational leaders navigating the questions every institution in higher education is asking right now

Campus leaders are being asked to make consequential decisions about generative AI right now — before the applications are clear, before best practices have emerged, and before anyone knows where this is heading. The pressure to act is real, and so are the risks.

This talk gives leaders a framework for thinking clearly amidst that uncertainty. David draws on a historical parallel he witnessed firsthand: the internet's arrival on campus in the early 1990s. Reflecting on lessons learned during that transition, this talk gives leaders tools they can use immediately — not to predict the future, but to make confident decisions right now about how to leverage AI to fulfill the mission of higher education.

What audiences take away

A historical framework that reframes urgency without panic
A turn-and-talk exercise that catalyzes action on campus
Clarity on what "doing the foundational work now" actually means
A policy lens on equity and the emerging AI divide

Keynote

"Open Education in the Age of Generative AI"

60–90 minutes · for open education communities, faculty, and institutional leaders

For over a quarter century, the open education movement has pursued a single goal: increasing access to educational opportunity. From the very beginning, the primary tactic for accomplishing this goal has been creating and sharing open educational resources (OER) — freely licensed educational materials that grant users permission to engage in the 5R activities.

However, materials powered by generative AI are even more effective at increasing access to educational opportunity than fixed, one-size-fits-all OER like open textbooks. As AI transforms the world around higher ed, the open education movement has to grapple with a critical question: How do we combine the power of generative AI with the principles of openness to finally achieve what OER alone never could? This talk offers a framework, together with concrete examples, for doing exactly that.

What audiences take away

Why the mission of open education matters more than its most familiar solution, OER
How open generative AI and OER can be combined to increase access to education
How the 5Rs can be applied to generative AI tools and technologies
A vision of what open education can look like over the next decade
Global Reach

110+ keynotes. 22 countries. 6 continents.

From North America to Southeast Asia, David has spoken to campuses, associations, and organizations around the world.

What Audiences Say

Trusted by campus leaders

From flagship research universities to regional institutions, leaders book David when the stakes are high.

"I had the opportunity to hear David speak at a statewide conference in Virginia about Open Educational Resources. In his closing remarks, he observed that an entire degree could be built using open educational resources, eliminating the cost of textbooks. That idea ignited a sense of possibility and a bold vision at Tidewater Community College. With David’s guidance, we brought that vision to life. It was one of those rare moments in a career when you realize you were exactly where you needed to be—listening to exactly the right person. I remain profoundly grateful for David’s vision and its lasting impact on students."
Dr. Daniel DeMarte Executive Vice President for Academic & Student Affairs Tidewater Community College
"David's inspiring keynote at Open Ed Live gave our global audience exactly what many educators needed: a thoughtful way to connect the rapid rise of generative AI with the long-standing goals of open education. He helped more than 900 attendees see AI not as a detriment to our work, but as a powerful opportunity to ask better questions about access, agency, affordability, ethics, and student learning."
Kevin Corcoran Assistant Vice Provost, Center for Distributed Learning University of Central Florida
David Wiley
About David

Get to Know David

David is an Associate Professor at Marshall University and Co-Chair of the university's AI Steering Committee. He teaches courses in Entrepreneurship and Management Information Systems. David has received several recognitions for his work, including a National Science Foundation CAREER grant and appointments as a Nonresident Fellow in the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford Law School and a Peery Social Entrepreneurship Research Fellow in the BYU Marriott School of Business. He's founded or co-founded numerous entities including Lumen Learning, Degreed, and Mountain Heights Academy. In 2009, Fast Company named him one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business.

David was born and grew up in West Virginia, where he currently lives with his wife Elaine and four of their five children. You can learn more about David at davidwiley.org.

Generative AI Open Education Higher Education EdTech Entrepreneurship
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David speaks primarily at higher education conferences, association convenings, and campus leadership events.

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