About Neil Sahota · UN AI Advisor & Trusted Executive Advisor

About Neil

Neil Sahota is a United Nations AI Advisor, an IBM Master Inventor who helped build IBM Watson, a professor at UC Irvine, and a bestselling author.

For more than two decades he has helped Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, associations, and high growth organizations navigate complex transformation. His experience spans strategy, operations, technology, governance, and organizational change, giving leadership teams an independent perspective grounded in both innovation and execution.

What differentiates Neil is not simply his experience with emerging technology. It is his ability to connect business strategy, operational realities, leadership priorities, and future market dynamics into decisions executives can act on with confidence. That perspective has made him a trusted advisor to executive teams, boards, and global organizations navigating significant change.

Own the A.I. Revolution

Bestselling Book

AI Activation Code

Latest Work

At a glance

A rare combination of builder, advisor, and academic.

United Nations

AI Advisor

Co-founded the UN's AI for Good initiative, helping shape global policy, ethics, and governance for artificial intelligence.

IBM

Master Inventor

More than 20 years at IBM, including a core role on the team that built IBM Watson.

UC Irvine

Professor & Innovation Officer

Teaches and serves as Chief Innovation Officer, bridging cutting-edge research and real-world application.

Author

Bestseller

Wrote Own the A.I. Revolution, named a Best Business Book of 2019, and co-authored Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI.

Forbes & Substack

Writer

Writes on AI strategy for Forbes and publishes the Disrupting THE BOX newsletter to thousands of leaders.

Advisory

Fractional Chief AI Officer

CEO of ACSI Labs and a fractional CAIO, advising Fortune 500 companies and private equity firms on scaling with AI.

Where Neil works

Strategy that holds up across industries and in the boardroom.

Neil deploys AI strategy across a broad set of sectors, and acts as a force multiplier on multinational boards, helping directors navigate disruptive risk, data, and operational change.

Legal TechHealthcareLife SciencesGreen EnergySupply ChainRetail

Speaking & media

On stages and in feeds worldwide.

Neil keynotes high-stakes conferences on AI regulation, technology-driven investment, and the future of work, represented by Gravity Speakers. He co-hosts the AI for All podcast with Ryan Chacon, translating deep tech into practical business moves.

See Neil's keynotes Read the newsletter

Beyond the work

Betting on people and the next generation.

Neil vets early-stage startups with Tech Coast Angels as a mentor and pitch judge, and has held director-level roles with nonprofits including Inteleos, Computing for Humanity, Legalmation, and Shineville. He volunteers with the Zero Abuse Project and Planet Home, and served in IBM's Corporate Service Corps in Ningbo, China.

Meet Neil Sahota