MAICON brings together top visionaries and experts in the field of AI during a three-day conference packed with actionable sessions and networking events—all to position you as the change agent your organization (and career) needs. In this ongoing speaker series, we’re featuring these extraordinary leaders, with forward-looking predictions, actionable tips you can use today, and a preview of their MAICON 2025 sessions.
Brian Madden is the Technology Officer and Futurist at Citrix with more than 30 years of experience as a globally recognized technologist, futurist, and storyteller. His work focuses on helping enterprises anticipate and prepare for what’s next.
His interest in knowledge work and emerging tech trends began in the 1990s with the rise of enterprise mobility and SaaS. Today, he helps business leaders understand the transformative potential of artificial intelligence.
“AI will be the biggest impact to work that I’ve seen in my entire career,” he said.
Over the years, Brian has delivered more than 1,000 keynote speeches around the world. He’s the author of six books—collectively selling more than 100,000 copies—and has written more than 2,000 blog posts.
This fall, Brian will travel from his home in Paris to MAICON to explore how AI is fueling an employee revolution.
Session Preview: Rethinking AI Strategy from the Inside Out
A quiet revolution is underway. Across organizations—and especially within marketing teams—employees are actively experimenting with AI tools, driving innovation from the ground up.
Rather than viewing this movement as a threat, Brian Madden will share how leaders can embrace and channel this momentum to benefit the entire organization.
He explains that many traditional companies are approaching AI solely as an IT issue—erecting firewalls, enforcing restrictions, and missing the bigger picture. In reality, AI should be approached as both a human resources and business strategy conversation.
“This is way bigger than IT,” he said. “Treat AI tools like you would treat a coworker. After all, humans have flaws too, so we give human workers guardrails. Take that infrastructure you use to manage humans and apply it to your AI workforce too.”
In his session, Brian will explore practical, actionable ways leaders can turn employee-led innovation into a lasting competitive advantage.
Lesson Learned: AI Will Make Waves from the Bottom Up
In Brian’s words:
“I strongly believe the biggest way AI will have an impact on the general world of knowledge work will NOT be top-down, but rather bottom-up.”
He goes on to explain that while organizational releases of AI apps and tools are great, they will not fundamentally change the way teams operate. Instead, big shifts will come from the AI tools that individuals use on a daily basis.
He likens this change to an oncoming tsunami: “Everyone is looking out to sea expecting a 200-foot wave, but they don’t realize the water is slowly rising up through the ground they are standing on.”
Looking Ahead: Real Change Takes Time
Organizations are built on complex systems—people, processes, regulations, training, workflows, and more. Even the most powerful AI tool can’t overhaul an entire operation overnight.
While AI adoption is already happening from the bottom up, it will take time for it to fully rise through the ranks and reshape how work gets done.
“Every individual will have to navigate the path of learning something entirely new,” Brian said. “People couldn’t initially understand a lightbulb when they only had candles. The same goes for AI. You must give grace to those employees who are just starting to explore these tools.”
As AI enters the workplace, patience, support, and strategic guidance will be essential for long-term, sustainable change.
Links We Like
The 7-stage roadmap for human-AI collaboration in the workplace
In this blog post, Brian outlines a seven-stage framework for understanding how workers adopt AI, and how those behaviors will reshape organizations over time.
EUCTECHDK Closing Keynote: The Future of Work in an AI-Native World
In this keynote, Brian argues that AI will integrate into knowledge work not through sci-fi interfaces, but by using the same tools as humans (desktops, browsers, and apps). It’s a shift in mindset that many leaders haven’t yet made.
To understand AI’s future impact, check out this playbook from 150 years ago
In this blog post, Brian draws a powerful analogy between today’s AI adoption and the electrification of factories. Just like electricity didn’t transform industry overnight, AI will require a sequence of strategic changes. If you think AI is "just a faster horse," this post might change your perspective.
Brian’s Session at MAICON
AI at Work: The Employees’ Revolution
While many organizations focus on top-down corporate AI strategies, a silent revolution is underway. Marketers are among the employees independently finding and integrating AI into their daily tasks, reshaping workflows without formal directives. This session explores the grassroots movement of AI adoption, emphasizing how individual workers are becoming accidental innovators.
Madden will explore the stages of this evolution—from passive AI assistants to proactive agents—and discuss the implications for organizational structure, security, and leadership. Attendees will gain insights into recognizing and harnessing this bottom-up transformation to enable their teams to do their best work.
Key Takeaways:
- How bottom-up AI adoption is already reshaping workflows and culture.
- Why formal "top-down" strategies must embrace and build on these grassroots efforts.
- Practical steps leaders can take to turn employee-driven innovation into a competitive advantage.
Keep Up with Brian (and AI)
Want to keep learning from Brian and stay ahead of the curve with AI? Here’s where to follow along:
Join Us at MAICON 2025
Marketing Artificial Intelligence Conference (MAICON) was created for marketing leaders and practitioners seeking to drive the next frontier of digital marketing transformation within their organizations.
We’re excited to host our 6th annual MAICON—Marketing AI Conference—at this pivotal point for our industry. Join us from October 14 to 16, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio, and use the special code SPEAKERSERIES100 at checkout to receive $100 off your registration!
