Theme: X Machina

In the luminous heart of Athens, where ancient myths meet cutting-edge innovation, TEDxAthens is set to embark on a momentous journey as it celebrates its 15th anniversary. With the theme “X Machina,” we invite you to delve into the intricate tapestry of humanity’s modern odyssey—a narrative woven with threads of technological marvels, human ingenuity, and ethical reckonings.

As the world hurtles towards an era of unprecedented technological advancement, the line between the natural and the artificial blurs. “X Machina” beckons us to explore this convergence, to ponder the profound implications, and to chart a course guided by wisdom and compassion.

At TEDxAthens 2024, visionaries, innovators, and thought leaders from around the globe will converge to illuminate the path forward.

Against the backdrop of ancient ruins and modern marvels and hosted for the first time at Athens & Epidaurus Festival Pireos 260, TEDxAthens 2024 will serve as a crucible for dialogue, exploration, and inspiration, embodying the spirit and timeless concept of “Deus ex Machina” in today’s complex world.

Join us on this extraordinary voyage of riveting talks, honest discussions, and immersive experiences as we celebrate 15 years of ideas worth spreading and embark on a new chapter in our shared narrative. Together, let us dare to dream, to innovate, and to build a world where the synergy between humanity and technology is harmonious, equitable, and empowering.

Welcome to TEDxAthens 2024: “X Machina”, where Humanity Meets its Digital Destiny.

Peiraios 260, Athens Epidaurus Festival
Peiraios 260
Athens, Attiki, 18233
Greece

Andreas Drymiotis

Andreas G. Drymiotis ,born 1940 in Nicosia Cyprus. Studied Civil Engineering in the National Technical University of Athens, from 1959 to 1964. From 1965 to 1966 he was a post-graduate student in Battersee College of Technology (today University of Surrey) where he learned the programming of digital computers. From January 1967 until 1984 he worked as a Technical Manager and General Manager of Doxiadis Associates Computer Center (DACC). DACC was the official distributor of UNIVAC electronic computers and from 1969 it was operating the largest service bureau in Greece. In 1984, with Alpha Bank and DACC, they established DELTA Informatics, which pioneered the outsourcing of computer services to third parties mainly in the financial sector. He remained President and CEO until 2004, when DELTA Informatics was acquired by First Data International. From 2005 to 2006 he was Vice-President of Unisystems and from 2008 to 2009 he the President of SingularLogic Integrator. During the period 1/2/2010 – 4/11/2011 he was the Head of Information and Technology Unit at the Office of the Prime Minister of Greece. He is a pioneer in the information technology in Greece and during the 70’s he implemented the installation of several mainframes in most of the ministries in Greece, including the Ministry of Public Works, the Ministry of Transportation, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Public Order, the National Statistical Office, the Taxation Office and others. Probably the most well known project is the design and implementation of the of the collection and real time publication of all the Election’s Results in Greece from 1981 until 2009. It is the most successful outsourcing project in the Public Sector. In 1989 we was awarded an Honorary Discrimination by the Foundation for the Advancement of Journalism “Athanasios Botsis” for his contribution in the establishment of the National Data Base for all the newspapers in Greece. He was a member of the Committee fro the 2004 Olympic Games responsible for the Information Technology of the Games. He has published the book “20 Months Hostage”, referring to his detention in the concentration camps of Cyprus during the fight against the British, 1955-1959. Other books are “In Sundays Kathimerini – Page 9” and “40 + 1 Election Nights – A 39 year Adventure in Politics, Media and Information Technology”. Since 2012, he has a regular weekly column in “Sundays Kathmerini”. He is married with two sons. Both of them are in Information Technology.

Andrew Winston

Andrew Winston is a globally-recognized expert on megatrends, sustainable business, and how to build companies that profit by contributing to a thriving world. He was ranked #3 on the Thinkers50 list of the most influential management thinkers in the world. Andrew’s books on strategy have sold over a quarter million copies in 15 languages. His bestsellers include Green to Gold – which Inc. Magazine included on its all-time list of 30 books that every manager should own – The Big Pivot, and Net Positive, which was co-authored with renowned CEO Paul Polman. The Financial Times selected Net Positive as one of the Best Business Books of the Year. Andrew writes regularly for the Harvard Business Review and MIT Sloan Management Review, including the HBR cover story, “The Net Positive Manifesto” and the HBR’s “Big Idea” story, “Leading a New Era of Climate Action.” His views on strategy have been sought after by the world’s leading companies, including 3M, DuPont, J&J, Kimberly-Clark, Marriott, PepsiCo, Trane Technologies, Unilever, and Walmart. He has been quoted in major media such as Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, Time, BusinessWeek, New York Times, and CNBC. Andrew is also a highly sought-after, dynamic, and inspiring speaker, reaching hundreds of audiences around the world. He delivers an entertaining message of practical optimism: the world’s challenges are great, but business has the tools, resources, and creativity to solve them and build a thriving world. He has spoken on five continents, bringing his inspiration to leadership meetings of the top executives of multinationals, to large industry conferences, and to high-profile events like the World Business Forum and TED. Andrew’s work is based on significant business experience and education. His early career included advising companies on corporate strategy while at BCG and management positions in strategy and marketing at Time Warner and Viacom/MTV. He received his BA in Economics from Princeton, an MBA from Columbia, and a Masters of Environmental Management from Yale. He lives in Greenwich, CT with his wife and two sons.

Antonia Pontiki

Dr. Antonia Pontiki is a Biomedical Engineer and expert in the field of additive manufacturing for healthcare applications. Currently working as a Teaching Fellow in Biomedical Engineering, and Deputy Director of the MSc Clinical Sciences at the School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences at King’s College London, she is dedicated to advancing education and healthcare accessibility. Antonia’s research centers on 3D printing and novel manufacturing techniques for surgical applications, including the development of patient-specific prostheses and simulators for surgical training. She has developed and clinically validated a method for creating 3D patient-specific chest wall prostheses, earning a recognition in Forbes 30 Under 30 in Science & Healthcare. Antonia combines her expertise in engineering and her passion for healthcare to develop innovative, low-cost solutions to improve patient lives. Originating from Athens, Greece, Antonia obtained her Doctorate and BEng in Biomedical Engineering from King’s College London. Having lived and worked in n the United States, Ireland, and now London, UK, she utilises her diverse experiences to contribute better healthcare and education.

Clover Hogan

Clover Hogan is a climate activist and the founder of Force of Nature – the youth non-profit mobilising mindsets for climate action. She has worked alongside the world’s leading authorities on sustainability, consulted within the boardrooms of Fortune 50 companies, and counselled heads of state. Her TED talk, ‘What to do when climate change feels unstoppable’, has been viewed 2 million times.

Dimitris Gizopoulos

Dimitris Gizopoulos is Professor at the (National and Kapodistrian) University of Athens where he leads the Computer Architecture Laboratory of the Department of Informatics and Telecommunications. His research focuses on the complex interactions among the computing performance, the energy efficiency, and the correct operation of modern computing systems at different application domains across the performance spectrum. His team works, among other topics, on the analysis of silicon defects in modern CPUs, GPUs, and AI accelerators hardware chips (manufacturing, design, and environment aspects that impact their operation) and their effects on the correctness of the computing systems running everyone’s software workloads. The work is part of a global industry-academia effort led by Meta, Google, AMD, Intel, Nvidia, Arm, Microsoft towards improving the quality of the services of modern machines on which our live relies. Dimitris is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) for his contributions to microprocessors reliable operation, a Distinguished Member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), and a Golden Core Member of the IEEE Computer Society. His research publications with students and collaborators have been nominated and awarded important recognitions at scientific conferences and journals in the field of computer architecture, hardware design and systems dependability. He has served as General Chair and Program Chair of several top tier IEEE and ACM international conferences and on the Editorial Boards of prestigious IEEE and ACM archival publications.

Dimitris Papanikolaou

He was born on 7/2/77 in Athens. He started his professional athletic career at the age of 15, where he also received his first paycheck. He would take two buses and a train daily to get to his training sessions from his family home in Ilio, to Patissia and Sporting. At 16, he won the European children’s championship with the National Team. At 18, he won the World Junior Championship and that same summer transferred to Olympiacos. He spent a total of 3 years at Sporting, 7 years at Olympiacos, 1 year at Makedonikos, 4 years at Panathinaikos, 2 years at AEK, 1 year at Panionios, and 1 year at Peristeri. Apart from being a European children’s champion and world junior champion, he is a 2-time Olympian with the national men’s team, 7-time Greek champion, 6-time Greek Cup winner, 2-time European club champion with Olympiacos and Panathinaikos, and the only Greek basketball player to achieve a triple crown with Olympiacos and Panathinaikos, meaning winning the championship, cup, and European title in the same season. After retiring, he was awarded by the Panhellenic Association of Sports Press for his ethics throughout his career. In the last 2 years, he has been dedicated to raising awareness about autism, mainly due to his daughter, but also speaking about self-improvement, athleticism, and teamwork, and how he utilized these experiences from sports to turn what society perceived as a disadvantage into an advantage and help thousands of people facing similar challenges.

Evy Poumpouras

Evy Poumpouras is multi-platform journalist and host who frequently appears on NBC, MSNBC, CNN, and ABC. She covers a wide range of topics, such as national security, law enforcement, personal protection, behavioral analysis, situational awareness, and how to live life fearlessly. Evy’s new book, BECOMING BULLETPROOF, was recently released via Simon & Schuster in 2020. As a former Secret Service Special Agent, she was part of the protective details for President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, as well as former Presidents George W. Bush, William J. Clinton and George H. Bush. She worked complex criminal investigations and undercover operations, executed search and arrest warrants, and investigated both violent and financial crimes. Additionally, Evy was an interrogator for the agency’s elite polygraph unit and trained by the Department of Defense in the art and science of lie detection, human behavior, and cognitive influence. Outside of her role as a journalist, Evy is a TEDx speaker and international advisor whose expertise is sought worldwide. She has been a keynote speaker for NASDAQ, SOCOM, Yankee Stadium Series, United Technologies, Corcoran Group, Tyco, Skanska, Red Door Spa, amongst many others. She is an Adjunct Professor for The City University of New York where she teaches criminal justice and criminology. Evy was also cast on CBS’s TV series “The Hunted” and appeared as an assessor on Bravo’s “Spy Games.” Evy holds a Master of Science from Columbia University in Journalism, a Master of Arts in Forensic Psychology from Argosy University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Affairs from Hofstra University. She is also a former New York City Police Academy recruit, and a graduate of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Secret Service Academy, and the Department of Defense Polygraph Institute. Evy is the recipient of the Secret Service Medal of Valor Award for her heroism on September 11th.

John Tasioulas

John Tasioulas is Professor of Ethics and Legal Philosophy and the inaugural Director of the Institute for Ethics in AI at the University of Oxford. He is also a Senior Research Fellow at Balliol College Oxford. He studied law and philosophy at the University of Melbourne and completed his doctorate as a Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford. He was previously Yeoh Professor of Politics, Philosophy, and Law at King’s College London, Quain Professor of Jurisprudence at University College London, Reader in Moral and Legal Philosophy at the University of Oxford, and Lecturer in Jurisprudence at the University of Glasgow. Professor Tasioulas is a Senior Fellow in Schmidt Sciences’s AI2050 program and a member of the Prime Minister of Greece’s High-Level Advisory Committee on AI. He has acted as a consultant on human rights to the World Bank and served as a member of the International Advisory Board, Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA), European Parliament. Professor Tasioulas has held visiting appointments at All Souls College, Oxford, the Australian National University, Harvard University, the University of Chicago, the University of Melbourne, and the University of Notre Dame. He has published widely in the areas of moral philosophy, legal philosophy, political philosophy, and the philosophy of technology. He is currently engaged in an AI2050 project on humanistic AI ethics together with Professor Hélène Landemore (Yale University).

Linus Karlsson

Global Chief Creative Director IKEA. Legendary Hall of Fame Creative Executive. For over three decades a trusted creative mind and source for some of the biggest companies in the world to disrupt and re-imagine their business. Creative leader. Writer. Designer. Film-maker. Strategist. Entrepreneur. Husband. Dad. Shelter dog advocate. Linus was inducted in the Swedish Advertising Hall of Fame in April 2012, and has also been named “One of the 50 most influential people in Pop Culture” by RayGun Magazine and, in 2024, “One of the 50 most influential CMO’s in the world” by Forbes. From 2015 to 2021, Linus served as a Board member of publicly traded Elanders Group (packaging, supply-chain and logistics), and The World Childhood Foundation USA, founded by Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden. Linus was an inaugural member of Facebook Creative Council in 2012, and serves as a guest lecturer in “Strategic Imagination” to the Master Students in Communications at the University of Stockholm. Linus lives in Tarrytown outside New York and drives a 2017 Silverado 1500, beautifully equipped with 33” Cepek mud tires.

Maria Neira

Dr Maria P. Neira is the Director of the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health at the World Health Organization. Prior to that she served as Under-Secretary of Health and President of the Spanish Food Safety Agency. Dr Neira began her career as a medical coordinator working for Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders). She then spent several years working in different African countries during armed conflicts. Dr Neira is a Medical Doctor by training, specialized in Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases in Paris, France, Master of Public Health and a University Diploma in Human Nutrition, Epidemic Preparedness and Crisis Management. Among many distinctions, she has been awarded the Médaille de “L’Ordre National du Mérite” by the Government of France and received an “Extraordinary Woman” award by HM Queen Letizia of Spain. In early 2019, she was nominated among the top 100 policy influencers in health and climate change.

Miyoko Schinner

Miyoko Schinner is an award-winning chef, author, entrepreneur and speaker. She founded Miyoko’s Creamery, one of the leading alternative dairy producers, and is often credited for bringing vegan cheese to mainstream audiences. She is also the founder of the non-profit Rancho Compasión, a farmed animal sanctuary and education center for school-age youth. Miyoko is the author of six cookbooks, including the bestselling The Homemade Vegan Pantry, and the book credited for launching the vegan cheese revolution, Artisan Vegan Cheese. Her 7th book, The Homemade Vegan Creamery, is slated to come out in 2025. She co-hosted a vegan cooking show on PBS called Vegan Mashup that aired for three seasons. She currently hosts a new YouTube cooking channel called The Vegan Good Life with Miyoko, and was featured in a 4-part Netflix series, You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment. Calling herself an epicurean activist, she has worked tirelessly for over thirty years to reimagine a food system built on sustainability, equity, and compassion for animals. Her popular cookbooks, products, and thought leadership have inspired people across the globe to reconsider their food choices and take personal joy and responsibility in helping to participate in a better food system. Miyoko has spoken all over the world in Saudi Arabia, Italy, and Korea, as well as home in the US at Google, Dropbox, The Smithsonian, and more. She is regularly featured on podcasts and interviews. Miyoko has been recognized by major media outlets as a cultural icon and food innovator, and was named to the coveted inaugural list of Forbes 50 Over 50, a “Game Changer” by Food and Wine Magazine, and a “Vegan Revolutionary” by UN Women. Miyoko has three grown children and resides in West Marin with her dogs, cats, and close to 100 other animals.

Muzoon Almellehan

Muzoon Almellehan, 26, is a Syrian refugee and education activist. Muzoon has been campaigning for children’s education in emergencies since she was forced to flee Syria in 2013 with her family. Muzoon started her campaign in Jordan, where she was living as a refugee in camps for three years, including 18 months in Za’atari. As part of a UNICEF-supported back-to-school campaign, she first advocated for more girls to go to school in August 2013 and went from tent to tent speaking with parents of children who were at risk of child marriage or early labor. Over the next two and a half years she became synonymous with standing up for the rights of children, particularly girls, to stay in or go back to school. She accompanied Malala on two visits to the camp. Muzoon now lives in Newcastle, United Kingdom, with her family, and is a graduate of Newcastle University. She is the first UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador who is a refugee and offers a powerful, credible, authentic voice on education in emergencies. In April 2023, Muzoon travelled to London with UNICEF to speak at a parliamentary event where she highlighted the importance of education in emergency contexts. In September 2022, Muzoon travelled to Jordan with UNICEF to meet children and refugees affected by the impact of COVID-19 school closures and raised awareness of the global learning crisis. Muzoon has received the following awards and honors: Dresden Peace Prize 2020, Cle de Peau Power of Radiance award 2019, BBC’s list of 100 influential and inspirational women in 2017, TIME’s 30 Most Influential Teens of 2017, Teen Vogue’s 21 Under 21 Class of 2017 and a 2017 Glamour Women of the Year Award. In 2019 Muzoon was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Glasgow Caledonian University.

Patrick Tatopoulos

Patrick Tatopoulos designs and creations have influenced the quality and direction of contemporary films for over 25 years. His creative achievements in Production Design, Costume Design, Creature, Character, Vehicle design as well as Directing have left a lasting impression in the Motion Picture Industry, with a unique style that is rich, complex and diverse. His growing body of work has a distinct signature that attest to his boundless imagination. Patrick signature style and designs is recognizable in such successful feature films as INDEPENDENCE DAY, TOTAL RECALL, IROBOT, I AM LEGEND, UNDERWORLD, SILENT HILL, RESIDENT EVIL, PITCH BLACK, DARK CITY, GODZILLA, STARGATE. His other credits include VAN HELSING, ALIEN VS PREDATOR, BRAM STOKER DRACULA, STUART LITTLE, ADAMS FAMILY, THE DOORS, STAR TREK and many more. In 2023 Patrick took on the Production Design as well as the Dragon Design for the NETFLIX film, DAMSEL. The movie made it to the Netflix Top Ten of all time. Between 2017 and 2018 Patrick Tatopoulos designed Disney’s MALEFICENT Mistress of Evil. In 2017 Patrick Tatopoulos had the honor to see his work exhibited at the iconic London Museum, THE BARBICAN. In 2016 Zack Snyder asked Tatopoulos to come back as the Production Designer for THE JUSTICE LEAGUE. In 2015 Tatopoulos took on the Production Design for Zack Snyder’s BATMAN vs SUPERMAN. For this film Tatopoulos also designed the cult BATMOBILE and BATCAVE. In 2014 Tatopoulos created the Production Design for the for the Highly stylish Warner Bros film, 300 RISE OF AN EMPIRE. Between 2011 and 2014, and in between his film work, Tatopoulos was a judge on the SY-FY channel for their very popular Reality Show FACE OFF. In 2009 Tatopoulos directed UNDERWORLD RISE OF THE LYCANS, from the highly successful Sony Pictures’s franchise. The movie grossed close to a 100 millions world wide. Tatopoulos has designed several acclaimed music videos for LINKIN PARK, COLDPLAY as well as directing two Music Videos for the renowned artist COOLIO. Tatopoulos was born in Paris, France, where he lived until the age of 17. He began his studies at the Art Decoratif De Paris Pursuing a career in the fine arts, he moved to Italy and Greece . Aside from his love of Arts, Patrick’s long term passion for motorcycles got him to race in Europe and America for many years. Eventually his interest in motion pictures drew him to the United States, where he began his film career in 1989.

Roger Michel

Roger Michel is the Executive Director of the Institute for Digital Archaeology (IDA), a UK-based NGO that operates globally, undertaking a broad range of heritage projects, many of which employ novel imaging and fabrication technologies. Frequently working in conflict zones and post-conflict environments, the IDA specializes in the reconstruction/restoration of heritage assets, both physical and intangible. Notable recent projects include reconstructions of the Triumphal Arch of Palmyra, the statue of Allat, the Parthenon sculptures held by the British Museum, endangered Syrian storytelling traditions, and the olfactory experience of spice-rich ancient Ethiopia. The IDA’s principal partners are national governments, the United Nations, and major museums and universities. The IDA has been the subject of cover stories in hundreds of magazines and newspapers, including Newsweek, National Geographic, and the New York Times. Its monumental scale reconstructions have been displayed around the world, including at the United Nations in NYC and Geneva, Trafalgar Square, the US Capitol, the G7 in Florence and the Venice Biennale. Mr. Michel previously served as a senior prosecutor in the United States and was on the faculty at Boston University for 25 years. He lectures regularly on heritage protection policy and is the author or co-author of dozens of articles and books on a wide range of legal and historical topics. He is a graduate of Harvard University and the University of Oxford and is an Honorary Fellow of Trinity College, Oxford.