From April 24th to April 28th, this year’s conference, entitled TED 2017: The Future You, will take place at the Vancouver Convention Centre. The speakers will explore the most pressing questions of our time and will try to imagine what our shared future might look like. And if you’re worried about getting a ticket, you should be: they’re sold out and run about $8,500. While the lineup is a veritable who’s-who of remarkable minds, five upcoming speakers are poised to make the entrepreneurial hairs on the back of your neck stand up straight. If you’re interested in finding out what they’ll be talking about, check them out below:
Elon Musk: The Future Us
As the founder of Tesla and SpaceX, it’s hard to argue with the fact that Musk is one of the most innovative and influential people in tech. His companies are transforming transportation and space travel on a regular basis, all while promoting sustainability and a brighter future for the people of the world. His TED Talk, The Future Us, is the keynote session of the conference and will focus on what the world holds for the people inhabiting it.
Tom Gruber: Our Robotic Overlords
As the co-creator of Siri, Tom Gruber knows a thing or two about artificial intelligence. He led the team that developed the revolutionary technology that has made life a little bit easier. As a designer, inventor and polymath, Gruber has completely transformed the way we as people engage with machines and how they can improve our lives. His TED Talk, Our Robotic Overlords, will focus on how technology and machines are being integrated into everyday life and what that means for the future.
Serena Williams: Health, Life, Love
After winning her 23rd Grand Slam, the most in singles titles in history, Serena Williams deserves a lot more than a TED Talk. As perhaps the greatest athlete of all time, she has overcome insurmountable odds to establish herself as someone you need to hear talk about the life she’s lived. Her TED Talk, Health, Life, Love, will focus on what it takes to be healthy and happy in a world surrounded with stress.
Joseph Redmon: Mind, Meaning
As a computer scientist, Joseph Redmon’s mind works differently than most. He is currently working on the YOLO (You Only Look Once) algorithm, which can combine the simple face detection of your phone camera with a cloud-based AI in real time. Thanks to his skill and the direction of technology, his algorithm could be implemented in just a few years. His TED Talk, Mind, Meaning, will cover how the mind assigns meaning and what it means for the future of humanity.
Karoliina Korppoo: Connection, Community
Karoliina Korppoo is a Finnish game designer that has helped Colossal Order dethrone Sim City as the gold standard for city simulation games. The game, titled Cities: Skylines, has redefined the genre by making customization and personalization part of the model. It also addresses, rather than ignores, problems like gentrification and urbanization. Her TED Talk, Connection, Community, will delve deeper into the value of connection with your community when developing a project.
The Rest of the 2017 TED Talk Speakers
Adam Alter, PsychologistAshton Applewhite, Author/activistNoriko Arai, AI expertDan Ariely, Behavioral economistIsabel Behncke Izquierdo, PrimatologistIngrid Betancourt, Writer/peace advocateLevon Biss, PhotographerElizabeth Blackburn, Molecular biologistJon Boogz, Movement artistRutger Bregman, HistorianDavid Brenner, Radiation scientistLil Buck, Dancer, choreographer/educatorPeter Calthorpe, Urban designerJacob Collier, Musician and artistJack Conte, Musician/entrepreneurRay Dalio, Hedge fund chairDevita Davison, Food activistSara DeWitt, Children’s media expertMorgan Dixon, Health activistJorge Drexler, Musician/poetCynthia Erivo, Actor/performerEmily Esfahani Smith, AuthorNoah Feldman, Constitutional law scholarTim Ferriss, Human guinea pig/authorMartin Ford, FuturistFound Sound Nation, Musical collectiveKatherine Freese, AstrophysicistLaura Galante, Cyberspace analystVanessa Garrison, Health activistAtul Gawande, Surgeon/journalistLisa Genova, Neuroscientist/novelistGabriela González, AstrophysicistThe Surprise Guest, World figureTed Halstead, Policy entrepreneur/climate expert/authorRobin Hanson, Economist/social scientistAnna Heringer, ArchitectDanny Hillis, Computer theoristAnab Jain, Futurist/designerTitus Kaphar, ArtistGarry Kasparov, Chess grandmaster/analystShah Rukh Khan, Actor/producer/activistGrace Kim, ArchitectJim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank GroupGayle King, JournalistTamas Kocsis, Web builderTim Kruger, Geoengineering researcherAnne Lamott, Novelist/ essayistMichael Patrick Lynch, PhilosopherAnne Madden, Microbial researcherKate Marvel, Climate scientistDavid Miliband, Refugee advocateLuma Mufleh, Refugee activistRadhika Nagpal, Robotics engineerChuck Nice, Comedian/science fanCathy O’Neil, Math blogger/authorOK Go, BandMehdi Ordikhani-Seyedlar, NeuroscientistRaj Panjabi, PhysicianAnnika Paulson, Student, musicianHelen Pearson, Science journalist/editor/authorSusan Pinker, Psychologist/columnist/authorKristin Poinar, GlaciologistMarc Raibert, RoboticistJorge Ramos, Journalist/news anchorAnthony D. Romero, Attorney/public-interest activistDaan Roosegaarde, ArtistAnna Rosling Rônnlund, Co-founder of GapminderStuart Russell, AI expertRabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, Religious leaderRobert Sapolsky, Neuroscientist/primatologist/writerTomás Saraceno, ArtistJeffrey Schnapp, Cultural historianLaolu Senbanjo, Artist/musician/lawyer/ activistAnil Seth, Cognitive scientistMariano Sigman, NeuroscientistJulia Sweeney, Actor/ comedian/playwrightDavid Titley, MeteorologistJun Wang, Genomics researcherDavid Whyte, Poet/authorGuy Winch, Psychologist/authorHuang Yi, Choreographer/dancer/ inventorHelen Zaltzman, PodcasterManoush Zomorodi, Tech podcaster
Read more about TED Talk here on Tech.Co Photo: Flickr / Steve Jurvetson
