A nightmare scenario happened to politician Cara Hunter: just weeks before her election, she became the victim of a deepfake scam that threatened to upend her life and career. In a fearless talk, she explores AI's potential to undermine truth and democracy — and offers a path forward to harness this powerful technology as a force for good. (This talk contains mature language.)

Afghan activist Nila Ibrahimi shares her experience using song to protest — and ultimately reverse — oppressive laws in Afghanistan just before the Taliban took back control of the country. In a brief Q&A with Head of TED Chris Anderson, Ibrahimi sends a powerful message about the strength of girls' voices, both in Afghanistan and around the world.

Lily Yeh calls herself a barefoot artist: she travels the world with a suitcase full of art supplies, working with whoever wants to join her. In an inspiring talk, she shares the fruits of her collaborative art projects that bring color, community and beauty to public spaces often seen as “broken."

How do we protect ourselves from being misled online? Counter-terrorism expert Vidhya Ramalingam reveals how disinformation is weaponized to justify violence — increasingly against climate scientists — and introduces a powerful tool called "prebunking": a proactive approach that empowers people to recognize and reject manipulative messages before they take root.

Success in your career looks different for everyone — but no matter your industry, you'll need to take risks. Company and community builder Molly Graham shares three key skills to learn before jumping off the metaphorical cliff, outlining a path off the corporate ladder and into true professional and personal growth.

Why do so many of us get nervous when public speaking? Communication expert Lawrence Bernstein says the key to dealing with the pressure is as simple as having a casual chat. He introduces the "coffee shop test" as a way to help you overcome nerves, connect with your audience and deliver a message that truly resonates.

Exploring the rich meaning behind what we choose to eat, food ethnographer June Jo Lee unpacks how our "modern hungers" — or our deepest desires and need for connection — inform every bite. She decodes what Gen Z's palate says about the present moment and the shape of the future.

What's the best way to develop and implement solutions to social problems? TED Fellow and human rights activist Monica Malta discusses why traditional, top-down policymaking often fails by excluding key voices and missing root causes. She shows why community-based participatory research — a method that empowers communities to co-create solutions to their own challenges — taps into the resilience and strength of everyday people to be leaders of change.

Can AI compress the yearslong research time of a PhD into seconds? Research scientist Max Jaderberg explores how “AI analogs” simulate real-world lab work with staggering speed and scale, unlocking new insights on protein folding and drug discovery. Drawing on his experience working on Isomorphic Labs' and Google DeepMind's AlphaFold 3 — an AI model for predicting the structure of molecules — Jaderberg explains how this new technology frees up researchers' time and resources to better understand the real, messy world and tackle the next frontiers of science, medicine and more.

Curiosity is about seeking what unites us rather than clinging to what divides us, says author and curiosity expert Scott Shigeoka. Drawing on his research into fostering connection and healing division, he shares what he learned traveling across the US meeting people with views opposing his own — and shows why recognizing our shared humanity begins with getting curious.