The Power of Words to host Digital@UNGA session on human intelligence and AI at MoMA

The Power of Words® will hold an official Digital@UNGA Affiliate Session on Sept. 24 at MoMA in New York City, bringing together global leaders to examine how AI progress should be matched by investment in empathy, judgment, resilience and connection. The program will spotlight a framework called RED EQ™ and broader efforts to make emotional and relational development part of daily practice.

Why it matters: - The event centers a growing debate around AI adoption: whether organizations are advancing technology faster than they are strengthening the human skills needed to use it well. - The session frames emotional development, resilience and connection as practical capabilities for leaders, educators, healthcare workers and institutions navigating AI. - The discussion is positioned as part of Digital@UNGA, giving the topic a global policy, business and social-impact audience.

What happened: - The Power of Words® will host an official Digital@UNGA Affiliate Session on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, at the Celeste Bartos Theater at The Museum of Modern Art in New York City. - The official session runs from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. ET, with extended executive dialogues, additional panel discussions and open audience engagement through 12:30 p.m. ET. - The event is titled “Human Intelligence in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: The Power of Words® and Relational Emotional Development as a Framework for Human Flourishing.” - Confirmed participants and moderators include a high-level representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Bangladesh, Shelley Zalis of The Female Quotient, Dr. Melisa S. Valle of SYNC / Ithra, Dr. C. Raj Kumar of O.P. Jindal Global University, Fernando Garibay, Juliet Scott-Croxford, Joelle Jarvis and Dr. Justin Thomas. - Additional corporate leaders, international delegates and partner organization representatives are being added to the program.

The details: - The session will explore “dual intelligence,” defined as aligning artificial intelligence with human capacities such as empathy, judgment, emotional regulation, resilience, ethical responsibility and connection. - Deborah Sawaf, founder and CEO of The Power of Words®, said AI is advancing quickly, but the future will also depend on the emotional and relational intelligence of the people who design, lead and use it. - Sawaf said human intelligence must advance alongside AI rather than sit on the sidelines of technological progress. - The event will introduce Relational Emotional Development, or RED EQ™, as a framework for moving emotional intelligence beyond awareness into repeatable daily practice. - The Power of Words® says RED EQ™ helps people and institutions recognize emotions, communicate needs, respond more intentionally and strengthen relationships. - Discussion topics include aligning technological capability with human judgment and emotional maturity, the role of human intelligence in AI-enabled organizations, digital wellbeing, loneliness, changing human connection, and embedding emotional and relational development in education, business, healthcare and public life. - The agenda also includes turning emotional awareness into tools that support prevention, resilience and collective wellbeing. - The planned program combines opening remarks, moderated cross-sector conversations and an experiential introduction to The Power of Words® methodology. - The program includes action-oriented initiatives such as the Band Bond Initiative™, which uses the Two-Hand Principle™: a band on the right hand signals what someone is working for, and a band on the left hand signals a need for support. - The event invitation is available here.

Between the lines: - The session reflects a broader push to treat human capability as infrastructure, not just culture, in conversations about AI. - The emphasis on emotional and relational skills suggests The Power of Words® is trying to position wellbeing tools as operational systems for leadership, teamwork and prevention. - The MoMA venue and Digital@UNGA affiliation give the event a high-visibility platform that could help move the message from a niche wellbeing frame into policy and executive circles.

What's next: - The Power of Words® expects more corporate leaders, international delegates and partner organizations to join the official program. - Registration opens at 8:00 a.m. ET on Sept. 24, ahead of the morning session and the extended dialogue period. - The organization says it will continue working across education, leadership, healthcare and community settings to bring emotional intelligence into daily practice. - More information is available on the company website.

The bottom line: - The event argues that AI progress without equal investment in human intelligence, emotional development and connection could leave organizations with more power but less resilience.