TEDx Talks

A 10-year-old student argues that creativity is the foundation of innovation and human uniqueness, and that AI should serve as a helpful sidekick rather than replace human thinking. She emphasizes that balancing AI with genuine curiosity and imagination is essential for the future of education and solving real-world problems.

Bhavish Arunkumar argues that education is fundamental to achieving sustainable development, highlighting how schools and universities are integrating sustainability into curricula and student activities. He emphasizes that real-world engagement through projects like beach cleanups and reforestation, combined with a personal vision for the future, can drive meaningful individual and collective action toward environmental change.

David Kenny, executive chairman of Nielsen, discusses his career trajectory across three major technology waves—the web, cloud, and AI—sharing lessons from founding Digitas, leading Weather.com, and running Watson at IBM. He emphasizes the importance of data-driven decision-making, being right at the right time (not just being right), and the critical need for trust principles in a data-driven economy.

Raul Villacis shares his journey from alcoholism and financial crisis to discovering that his suffering stemmed from unhealed childhood trauma of abandonment, leading him to help other men find purpose through emotional healing rather than chasing success alone.

Jean Peters examines why people form vulnerable bonds with AI chatbots for mental health support and argues that while AI can be a useful thinking tool, genuine human connection—characterized by embodied presence and emotional feeling—remains irreplaceable for healing. She warns of dangerous consequences when AI use becomes a substitute for human connection rather than a complement to it.

Anniston Blair Riekstins shares her discovery of numerology as a framework for understanding life patterns and personal tendencies. She connects numerology to scientific principles like the Fibonacci sequence and DNA structure, arguing that numbers reveal underlying patterns in nature and human behavior, and proposes that recognizing these patterns through numerology allows people to shift from self-blame to learning.

Dr. Susie Hansley argues that emotions are a biological superpower, not weakness, and that suppressing them causes serious health consequences including burnout and disease. She explains that mammals are designed to release stress hormones through social connection and emotional expression, and demonstrates how witnessing emotions—rather than shaming them—builds psychological safety and strengthens communities.

Jorge Cano argues that what most people call aging is actually premature deterioration caused by stress, poor nutrition, lack of exercise, and emotional mismanagement. He presents three pillars of cellular regeneration—proper hydration, regular movement, and smart nutrition—as the keys to living healthily beyond 100 years, sharing his personal recovery from a terminal diagnosis to illustrate that health depends on present decisions, not age.

Lt. Gen. C. Bansi Ponnappa shares his philosophy on leadership developed through 41 years in the Indian Military, emphasizing that leaders are forged through discipline, adversity, and character rather than born. He illustrates key principles through his experiences in Kashmir, Somalia, and Congo, arguing that ethical leadership combined with professional competence is essential for success.

Harshaa Rajarajan uses WALL-E to illustrate how humans live by inherited directives—school, job, money, survival—without questioning whether these create true happiness. She argues we can reprogram our brains through intentional habit changes and the dopamine loop to break free from autopilot living and pursue meaning over mere survival.

Deepak Panchal shares his journey from initially dismissing NCC as rigid to becoming a changemaker through the organization, highlighting how he launched India's first official NCC podcast to showcase inspiring stories of cadets, and eventually became a parajumper. He emphasizes that transformative change comes not from resources but from intent, consistency, and taking that crucial first step.

Giuliana Mazzoni, a memory researcher, argues that moments of disorientation and uncertainty during life transitions are essential for personal growth and identity formation. She explores how memory shapes who we are, how our brains crave continuity, and how embracing the freedom found in liminal spaces allows us to consciously shape ourselves rather than being passively shaped by circumstances.

Shalmali Sirsi argues that humanity's arrogance and 'god complex' is the root cause of our failure to address climate change. She contends that the solution lies not in techno-centric control and ego-driven activism, but in cultivating humility and awe toward nature. Drawing on neuroscience, indigenous wisdom, and ecological examples, she calls for humans to 'step down' and listen to the planet rather than try to dominate it.

Joanna Hinz argues that constant connectivity and screen time have turned our attention into a commodity exploited by tech companies in a modern form of 'technofeudalism.' She presents the philosophy of 'slowtech' as a way to reclaim agency, time, and meaningful relationships. She concludes with a 7-day offline challenge built around three simple habits.

Marcin Moskalewicz debunks the popular narrative that AI models possess consciousness or feelings, arguing that such attributions stem from deeply rooted human cognitive biases like anthropomorphization. He warns about the real psychological dangers of 'AI psychosis' — delusional thinking reinforced by AI systems — while affirming that AI remains a powerful tool devoid of inner experience.

Artur Karapetyan, a physiotherapist and breaking practitioner, argues that the quality of movement ('how') matters far more than the quantity ('how much'). He draws on 22 years of breaking experience and clinical practice to show that mindless repetition can reinforce harmful patterns, while focused, slow, body-aware movement drives real health improvements. He concludes with three practical principles: forget numbers and goals, slow down, and let external stimuli (like music) guide spontaneous movement.

Zofia Przymus argues that traditional Customer Experience — built on standardization and KPI metrics — is dead, because it produces forgettable, interchangeable interactions. Drawing on the Experience Economy concept by Pine and Gilmore, she advocates for co-creating personalized, emotionally memorable experiences with customers rather than simply executing scripted service checklists. The future of CX belongs to those who treat service as a live performance with genuine customization, not a karaoke act following a fixed score.

Sebastian Iwanowski argues that augmented reality (AR) represents the next natural evolution of technology, moving the internet from a place we 'visit' on screens to a layer woven into physical reality. He highlights current real-world AR applications in medicine, culture, and education, while warning that the greatest challenge will be preserving shared human experience when everyone begins perceiving a different version of reality.

Luis González Gómez, a Spanish speaker of eight languages, argues that language learning is not about talent or grammar, but about the willingness to leave one's comfort zone and rebuild one's identity. He shares personal failures and embarrassing moments to illustrate that vulnerability and mistakes are the true engine of language acquisition. He proposes a simple three-part framework: a strong reason, fast action, and daily frequency.

Maria Szymańska shares how being trusted by others before believing in herself allowed her to create a volunteer-matching platform as a teenager. She argues that true philanthropy is not about large financial transfers, but about the courage to trust someone who hasn't yet found their own confidence. She connects this personal experience to the broader concept of endowment funds as infrastructure for societal trust.