Can AI win our trust, our affection, and maybe even our heart? In this TEDx talk, Deborah Nas reveals how AI is increasingly capable of acting like a true companion—becoming our friend, confidant, or even romantic partner. But as AI grows more human-like, what does this mean for our real-life relationships? Explore why we find ourselves emotionally connecting with AI, the opportunities and risks that come with this new intimacy, and why it's essential that we take control of shaping this technology—before it shapes us.Deborah Nas is a professor at Delft University of Technology, innovation lead at the Centre for Quantum & Society, and non-executive board member for various organisations. She uniquely blends technology, business, and psychology to explain how AI impacts our everyday lives. Known for making complex technology easy to understand, Deborah engages diverse audiences with her clear insights and compelling stories about the future. Her first TEDx talk, "Will technology shape our future or will we?", has inspired viewers worldwide. She is also the author of the popular book "Design Things That Make Sense," a practical guide helping innovators and startups create successful technology.This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

PhD student and adoptee Shannon Quist discusses the consequences of the push for adoption as an answer to unwanted pregnancies now that access to abortion is systematically being taken away in the U.S. This message is for people who have never wondered what happens when we succeed in replacing abortion with adoption. As an adoptee, Quist can tell that story. By revisiting Biblical myth, recent American histories, and even some of her own experiences, Quist draws you into a new perspective on the stories you think you know from the news. She clarifies how harmful it is to conflate adoption and abortion as two sides of the same issue and breaks down what we really seem to be fighting about: sexual behavior mores, women’s bodies, the number of white babies in the nation, and labor production. Shannon Quist is a Ph.D. student at Texas Woman’s University in Denton where she currently serves as the Digital Lab Coordinator for the Language, Culture, & Gender Studies department. She’s the author of the novel Rose’s Locket, and the poetry collection Mirrors Made of Ink. Her publications have appeared in the Austin American-Statesman, Severance Magazine, and the Texas Institute for Child & Family Wellbeing’s annual newsletter Connecting the Dots, among others. Her M.A. thesis focused on adoptee-written narratives and resulted in a narrative theory she calls Phantom Worlds which examines the function of character-constructed fantasies in narrative. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

What can growing up in a family of clowns teach you? Carla Francome delves into her personal and workplace experiences, and explores how humor can truly help you handle any situation. Carla Francome spent over two decades as a TV Producer/Director, and in her spare time, built up a following of over 16,000 on social media as an award-winning cycle campaigner. She now does communications and marketing for a small tech company.Whatever she's been working on, and whoever she's been talking to, she's always drawn on one part of her life for the skills she needs - the decade where she worked as a professional clown. Carla grew up in a family of clowns - and performed with her mum and her dad. In her talk, she will be explaining what she learnt when in a red nose and wig, and what you can learn from it too. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

When a young widow in Zimbabwe said “This is not my water to carry,” she wasn’t just resisting tradition, she was showing what leadership looks like when no clear answer exists. In this talk, Harvard lecturer and leadership advisor Farayi Chipungu introduces adaptive leadership — the kind we need when the challenge isn’t technical, but deeply human. Whether in families, boardrooms, or global systems, she shares how real change begins with three questions: What do we keep? What do we let go? Where must we innovate? Farayi Chipungu helps people do hard things—together. A lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and Harvard Law School, she teaches leadership, change, and how to navigate the high-stakes, messy moments where clarity is rare and courage is required. With a background in corporate law and nearly a decade at McKinsey, Farayi brings real-world grit to every room she’s in, whether advising Fortune 500 leaders, coaching changemakers, or challenging students to ask braver questions and take smarter risks. Part strategist, part coach, part lawyer, part researcher, she’s known helping people lead with courage, clarity, and just enough chaos to disappoint people at a rate that they can tolerate. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

In this TEDx talk, Millie Sawyer shares her lived experience navigating life with both ADHD and Autism. Drawing from personal insight, she highlights the challenges faced by neurodivergent individuals and explores the common misunderstandings that surround these conditions. Millie’s goal is to spark change in how society, educators, and healthcare professionals understand and respond to neurodiversity. With passion and courage, she calls on the next generation to speak up, challenge stereotypes, and create a more inclusive world for all. Let this be the moment we listen, learn, and begin to think differently. ADHD and Autism: Breaking Misconceptions.In this TEDx talk, Millie Sawyer shares her lived experience navigating life with both ADHD and Autism. Drawing from personal insight, she highlights the challenges faced by neurodivergent individuals and explores the common misunderstandings that surround these conditions.Millie’s goal is to spark change in how society, educators, and healthcare professionals understand and respond to neurodiversity. With passion and courage, she calls on the next generation to speak up, challenge stereotypes, and create a more inclusive world for all.Let this be the moment we listen, learn, and begin to think differently. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx