When a thinker like Nassim Nicholas Taleb steps into the conversation, things get sharper, clearer. A little more uncomfortable sometimes, but in the best possible way. That’s exactly what we’re inviting to QED 2026: a perspective that doesn’t just interpret uncertainty, but reframes it.
Taleb, the global thinker behind The Black Swan, Antifragile, and some of the most influential ideas in modern risk analysis, is joining us in Zadar this May as the central voice in our exploration of Collective.
A Keynote on Antifragility and Collective Intelligence
We’re living in a time where AI produces ideas faster than humans can meaningfully absorb them. Taleb has a razor-sharp take on that dynamic: abundance, not scarcity, is becoming our toughest problem. When content multiplies at exponential speed, the best ideas can drown before anyone notices them (the noise hides the signals).
So what do we do about it?
Taleb’s answer – and the backbone of his QED keynote – is surprisingly simple:
build systems that get stronger after Black Swans, that evolve after shocks, and rely on collective intelligence to separate wisdom from noise.
In other words: chaos isn’t the enemy, weak structures are.
That’s where the theme Collective comes into full focus. Across industries, borders, and domains, the ability to think, decide, and act collectively determines whether organizations merely survive volatility or transform it into long-term strength.
At QED, Taleb’s perspective will frame conversations on:
- how collective intelligence filters value out of informational chaos
- why antifragile systems outperform “safe” systems in unpredictable conditions
- what leaders should prioritize when human and AI decision-making intersect
- how Europe can avoid fragmentation and build shared resilience
Around that keynote, we’re opening up a broader program on BizTech resilience, AI-ready data ecosystems, quantum-secure transformation, and the role of technology in designing adaptive organizations.
But make no mistake: Taleb is setting the tone this year.
And if there’s one thing he excels at, it’s challenging assumptions we didn’t even realize we were making.
QED 2026 will be a chance to look at uncertainty not as a threat, but as raw material: something that can be shaped, strengthened, and even leveraged when we approach it collectively.