Augmented human

^Posing with the Shapers

Note: all pictures in this post are sourced from the World Economic Forum's Flickr account.

In this day and age of relentless conversations about AI, technology, automation and relentless efficiency, I returned from the world's foremost techie conference with a renewed sense of optimism and excitement for the future.

The World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting of the New Champions (AMNC), or Summer Davos, as it's dubbed, brings together about 2000 of the world's pioneers and cutting-edge innovators: attending it means you'll connect with people developing artificial guts, mapping global biodiversity, building flying cars or fuel-free drones, breaking boundaries in AI, connecting women farmers to Michelin-star restaurants and building billion-dollar software empires ... among other things.

My Shaper journey led my steps to AMNC17 in Dalian at a challenging moment of my life. One where I was unsure about what my heart wanted, where my energies were directed, and how I felt about the state of world and humanity in general. I had recently started medicating for depression and wasn't convinced I was ready to be unleashed into the world of professionals and visionaries.

Turns out, AMNC17 was the best thing which could have happened to me in this juncture. I broke with several traditions...

^ The convention centre.

The World Economic Forum hosts truly phenomenal events. World class speakers intervene on topics that challenge conventional thought, whilst the calibre of people attending the meetings makes for exciting, potentially career-changing encounters. Everything, from the sessions to the set-up of the space, is designed to encourage interaction. It's networking paradise.

^ Inside the convention centre.

During my previous World Economic Forum events, I tended to make a few mistakes. First, I'd shy away from the cohort of Shapers, feeling overwhelmed by interactions with my peers - instead of opening up to them, I'd protect my heart, my thoughts, my fears and hopes as best as I could with the result of feeling overwhelmed and anxious. Secondly, I'd cram-pack my agenda with meetings and dinners, and thirdly, I'd use the ADHD butterfly approach to networking: engage with as many persons as I possibly could, with the result that I'd leave with a satisfying stack of cards, but realise I'd connected meaningfully with only one or two people.

This time, I let serendipity carry me in its drift.

I was selective in the meetings I scheduled (aided by the non-functioning internet with the result that I missed many meeting requests), I earmarked fewer sessions, and finally, I took the leap and decided to open up more meaningfully to the Shapers.

I thus learnt the true meaning, and impact, of being in a tribe.

^ Attending a mapping of the state of our corals through NASA imagery.

Being a Shaper has always been a privilege. It's a chance to be of service to people and to the planet. It unites truly exceptional people and more than once, I have felt the pang of impostor syndrome as I mingled with them. This time, some of us took an AirBnB together in Beijing. Tiredness vanished as we sat in the common room, eating sweets from Indian (courtesy of Indian Shapers) and talking about everything and nothing.

The 6-hour journey from Beijing to Dalian was no less enjoyable. In between naps and conversations, we covered a vast range of topics: the future of Europe, being sustainable, scaling the Great Wall of China, mentoring...The tone for an enriching AMNC17 was set.

^The plenary session with the Premier of China, Li Keqiang.

Now, I could detail every session and every day of the event, but I'll save the thematic highlights for a separate blog post. We entered AMNC17 - 73 Shapers added to the mix of attendees - agog with excitement about the latest innovations, all geared towards "improving the state of the world", as per the World Economic Forum's motto. I decided to slow everything down; instead of rushing from one person to another, I let myself unwrap layers and layers of ideas and passion and motivation, with the result that the networking felt much more purposeful this time. And, more importantly, we had fun.

^ Everything is awesomeeee!

We built robots. Met fantastic people. Engaged in conversations about protecting the planet.

Above all, we were feeding off each other's energy: sharing contagious ideas, drawing insights and reaching out with our hearts and open minds to each other. Some of the attendees had harrowing childhoods, and they chose to transform their painful experiences into constructive efforts to support women and girls; others dedicated their energy to bring light to remote villages. And so on and so forth.

The whirlwind of sessions - ranging from augmented reality to augmenting humans - led to one clear realisation.Whilst many global trends, such as climate change and the risk of mass unemployment, are worrying - there is still so much hope as people keep trying to develop better solutions to tackle these complex crises. From developing fake organs to finding ways to reunited refugees, many of the technologies presented had a profoundly human component.

^ Build-your-own-gut ^ Flying taxi-drones... ^ Where's Wally? I attended this session about oceans: how to eradicate marine debris and illegal fishing.

^ Dan Roosengaarde and his smog-free tower in Dalian: it essentially sucks in air pollution and compresses the carbon, which can later be reused - for instance to make jewelry. The tower improves the quality of air.

It gets even better when you join with other visionaries and luminaries who amplify your hope, consolidate your ideas through their critiques and suggestions, and place you right at the heart of a network of possibilities. I felt, truly, that I was an 'augmented human'. No, I was not melded with bionics and super-human strength, but I was supported by others who had my back. They were the sphere where I could cast my idea and see it boomerang right back at me with a hundredfold strength. They are the tribe which stands as one.

So I am back from AMNC17, filled with gratitude and a sense of possibility and a clearer understanding of my own purpose. I cannot wait to step outside.