The rapid development of emerging technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), has resulted in both convenience and the continual expansion of human boundaries. However, this technological advancement requires us to ponder essential questions: In the AI era and beyond, what defines humanity? What makes human beings irreplaceable?

The TEDxYouth@YCYWShanghai event, held on 15 June at the Shanghai Children's Art Theatre located on the banks of the Huangpu River, brought together students, teachers, parents, and community members from YCYW campuses across the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong SAR. Through presentations, art, and workshops, participants had the opportunity to reflect on their ideas and responses to both the present and the future.

When elaborating on the theme of the event, FUTURES, the event organiser Dr Christopher Hurley, Head of YCYW’s EdFutures Division, said,

"We have really been searching for people who are building better futures. We have been seeking out those students, as they develop their ideas about what it means to be uniquely human in this age of technological advancement and AI. For us, that unique humanness is about creativity and innovation. More than that, it's the values about caring for the environment, caring for one another, and having that bond with one another. Technology and AI can't replicate these aspects of human life, although they can try to emulate them. Technology and AI cannot reproduce these uniquely human traits."

Mr Jedediah Friedman, the Lower Secondary Coordinator of YCIS Shanghai Puxi, participated in the selection of the TEDx speakers. He emphasised that, in addition to public speaking skills, the originality of the topic, and the strength of the arguments, an essential criterion was whether the contents of the speech included personal experiences that could resonate emotionally with the audience.

Phoebe, a Year-9 student at YCIS Shanghai Puxi, began her speech with a black and white photograph of an elephant. The image evoked a very sad memory. When she was seven, her parents had body shamed her by telling her that her thighs were too thick, and that they resembled elephant trunks. Phoebe spent the past few years suffering from body shaming. In an attempt to achieve her "ideal" body shape, she even tried extreme measures such as eating nothing but salad for lunch and dinner every day for two weeks. She lost weight, became hungry and weak, and fell into a state of depression.

Signals from her body, made Phoebe realise that: "Your body is not a machine that you change into any shape or form, in order to conform to society’s standards of beauty. You should treat your body like a vulnerable child."

In May, she collaborated with her teacher during a health class and shared her experiences of going from hating her body, to accepting her body, and then to loving her body. She hopes that her story can inspire people to gain energy and courage.

Emma, a student from YWIES Zhejiang Tongxiang, also mentioned elephants in her presentation. She bravely confronted the "elephant in the room"—stereotypes. As a short girl wearing glasses and of mixed ethnicity, Emma has experienced various stereotypes. Because of this, she even became introverted and unwilling to engage with her classmates.

"The stereotypes people hold are useless. When we stereotype someone, we are refusing to see them as the complex and diverse persons they are. Stereotypes can hurt people, and stereotypes limit our perspectives." Emma said firmly.

Avneet, from YCIS Beijing, and James, from YWIES Shanghai Lingang, had set their sights on larger issues. Avneet is from India, and moved to Beijing a decade ago with her family. In her school's Global Perspectives class, Avneet was exposed to diverse cultures and perspectives. This led her to reflect on India's caste system. 

In her speech, Avneet called on the Indian government to provide necessary education to young children so that they could grow up to be more open-minded and accept differences among groups.

James had enraptured the audience with his "Third Culture Kid" rap at the last TEDxYouth@YCYWShanghai event, and he returned to the stage with another original rap. This time, he explored the reasons why people engage in wars. "It’s prevalent in history. From the past until now, there have always been wars. War is a constant occurrence in human history," he lamented.

On stage, James wore a crown and rapped a rendition of Shakespeare's Macbeth. At the end of the performance, the crown fell to the ground, and James warned the world: "Unchecked ambition leads to violence and destruction. Don’t hurt each other, the consequences can be disastrous."

As Chloe, Amy, Lisa, and Zoe from YCIS Shanghai Pudong confidently declared at the end of their speech on gender-based violence, "The future is ours to create!" We believe that every idea shared on the TEDx stage is like a shining star, leading us to a world of endless possibilities and hope.