Success Doesn't Ask Questions | Barry Abejide | TEDxHomestead High School

Nigerian-American student researcher Barry Abejide examines how the pursuit of progress can overlook human needs and reinforce racial and socioeconomic inequities. Drawing on his work in cancer AI and genomics and on his experiences across cultures, he questions how success is defined, especially as technology grows more capable at solving problems. He proposes an approach to problem-solving that uses past achievements to identify what remains unknown or needs improvement.

• Why society scrutinises failure more than success
• How powerful technology can solve problems while leaving people behind
• Racial and socioeconomic inequities in the pursuit of progress
• A new approach that uses achievements to reveal gaps in understanding

We question failure, but rarely subject success to the same scrutiny. As technology becomes increasingly powerful, we risk becoming extraordinarily good at solving problems without considering what our definitions of progress leave behind.In this TEDx talk, Nigerian-American student researcher Barry Abejide draws on his work in cancer AI and genomics, alongside his experiences across cultures, to explore how our pursuit of progress can overlook human needs and perpetuate racial and socioeconomic inequities. He challenges us to rethink how we define success and offers a new approach to problem-solving that uses our achievements to uncover what we have yet to understand or improve. Barry Abejide is a Nigerian-American student researcher and AI developer at Noblesville High School. He draws on his work in cancer AI and genomics, alongside his experiences across cultures, to explore how our pursuit of progress can overlook human needs and perpetuate racial and socioeconomic inequities. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx