Human Forward: The TEDx Talks That Defined AUC Culture Fest 2026

If everything around us is getting smarter and faster, what does it mean to stay human?

This was the question at the heart of TEDx AUC Tahrir Square — part of the AUC Culture Fest 2026 — where eight speakers across architecture, technology, business, and the creative arts spent three hours tackling one theme: ‘Human Forward’.

Lamia Kamel, founder of CC Plus and the Narrative Summit, opened the conversation by reframing the AI conversation entirely. She discussed how it is not a threat, but an opportunity to grow. Basma Ray, Chief Data Scientist at Beltone Holding, echoed similar perspectives, arguing that five human qualities will always outshine any algorithm: curiosity, judgment, continuous learning, adaptability, and ownership.

Karim El Shafei, Chairman of Al Ismaelia for Real Estate Investment, turned away from AI and towards cultural identity and its role in placemaking. When a place loses its soul, its people lose their identity with it. To him, arts, local brands, and homegrown craft are the answer.

Omneya El Yammany, Commercial Manager at P&G and the first wheelchair user in Egypt to skydive, made the case for inclusion as a non-negotiable, and that staying human means building environments that include everyone. Personal stylist Caro Doss brought the conversation into your wardrobe. She argued that in a world of micro-trends dying every week, most of us are wearing the costume of another identity. To her, fashion can help fight this.

Sara Aziz, Founder and CEO of Safe Egypt, challenged the audience to set boundaries and protect their agency when using social media. Entrepreneur, Mohamed Aboulnaga, shared how by cloning himself with AI, he answered 15,000 questions in 37 minutes. His conclusion? AI makes you 200x more powerful — but only if you keep up.

Finally, Mostafa Salem, founder of Coconut Premium Interiors, closed with his talk, ‘Lasagna is not Kohsary’. He argued that cultural pride isn't nostalgia — it's the most important thing you can do.