TED Tech

Faced with the realities of current crises, it’s easy to assume our world is headed in a bleak direction. But there’s good reason to be hopeful— with developments in science and technology, a positive future is more viable than ever before. So, what if the future was awesome? Iseult Gillespie explores what three cities could look like in 100 years if we harness the tools we have at our disposal. [...

As a teenager, social entrepreneur Anshul Tewari didn’t see young voices represented in the conversations that mattered. His solution? A simple blog that has since transformed into Youth Ki Awaaz (Voice of the Youth): India’s largest citizen media platform, where more than 200,000 young people write about underrepresented issues every month. From stories of bringing electricity to forgotten villag...

Attention isn't just about what we focus on -- it's also about what our brains filter out. By investigating patterns in the brain as people try to focus, computational neuroscientist Mehdi Ordikhani-Seyedlar hopes to build computer models that can be used to treat ADHD and help those who have lost the ability to communicate. Hear more about this exciting science in this brief, fascinating talk. Af...

What do foot massage parties, otters, and AI robot tutors have in common? To find out, tune into our special end-of-year conversation featuring the hosts from TED Talks Daily, TED Radio Hour, TED Business, and TED Tech! Elise Hu, Manoush Zomorodi, Modupe Akinola and Sherrell Dorsey got together to share the biggest ideas dominating their industry and the lesser-known insights they wished garnered...

Dr. Joy Buolamwini is a computer scientist and a poet of code who uses art and research to illuminate the social implications of artificial intelligence. She joins to discuss her career as the founder of the Algorithmic Justice League, her best-selling book Unmasking AI: My Mission to Protect What is Human in a World of Machines, and her featured role in the acclaimed Netflix documentary Coded Bia...

Maps have long helped us understand the world — now, they can help us shape it. Digital cartographer Peter Wilczynski introduces the Living Globe: a real-time, data-rich digital twin of Earth that fuses satellite imagery, sensor data and AI. Watch for a glimpse of the future of maps — and learn how these new tools can help us build the future without wrecking the planet. Hosted on Acast. See acast...

What makes music “real” — is it the instruments, the voice, the creator’s intention or something else entirely? Dustin Ballard, the creative force behind the viral channel “There I Ruined It,” explores the weird, wonderful and sometimes unsettling ways AI is reshaping music. With fiddle solos and AI-powered mashups of your favorite songs, he invites us to ask: Are new tools fostering creativity, o...

When the Trump administration dismantled USAID, it was the beginning of a post-aid era, says philanthropist and social entrepreneur Jacqueline Novogratz. Aid may not be coming back but in its place Jacqueline hopes creative solutions will emerge to provide independence and dignity at the community level. Jacqueline is the CEO of Acumen and has helped move over $500 million to businesses tackling p...

Tencent is one of China’s biggest tech companies, running the popular Chinese messaging app WeChat and the world’s largest video game vendor. Now, it’s also an up-and-coming force in the field of carbon removal. Xu Hao, the vice president of Sustainable Social Value at Tencent, oversees two of those initiatives: the Carbon Neutrality Lab and CarbonX. He sits down with Sherrell Dorsey, host of the...

The environmental impact of AI is a growing concern. In this episode, Sherrell sits down with Juan M. Lavista Ferres, the Chief Scientist and Lab Director of Microsoft’s AI for Good Research Lab, to discuss his work in using AI for conservation and sustainability. Whether it’s using AI to measure methane gas leaks or allowing AI to optimize healthcare procedures at reduced costs, Juan argues AI te...

When entrepreneur Samir Ibrahim asked farmers in Kenya what problem they most needed solved, the answer was simple: reliable access to water to irrigate their farms year-round. Samir is the CEO of SunCulture, a company replacing diesel- and petrol-powered water pumps with more affordable solar-powered ones. He sits down with Sherrell Dorsey, host of the “TED Tech” podcast, to discuss how he contin...

Today, we’re featuring an episode from NPR’s science podcast Short Wave. In it, host Regina G. Barber talks to computer scientist Ilia Shumailov about maybe the buzziest topic around: AI. I’m sure you know AI models like OpenAI's ChatGPT are trained on millions of examples of human-written text. Nowadays, a lot of content on the Internet is written by these generative AI models. That means that AI...

In a moment that stunned the world in 2019, the famed Notre-Dame in Paris went up in flames, threatening the future of the centuries-old Gothic treasure. Philippe Villeneuve, the chief architect of the cathedral’s restoration, recounts the collective effort to bring the building back to life while honoring its history. Listen for a story of craftsmanship, devotion and innovation — and learn how mo...

Artificial intelligence could cost many of us our careers — but that doesn’t mean we should stop its development, says journalist Megan J. McArdle. As she watches AI encroach on her own craft, she shares a fresh take on the 19th-century Luddites, who tried to destroy machines that would upend their trade. Looking back, McArdle reframes today’s fears with a poignant question: If we halt progress to...

This is the surprising story of how Texas – rich in oil and gas – became America's biggest producer of wind energy. For our first episode, Ryan and Anjali talk with Pat Wood, once George W. Bush’s right hand man and head of Texas's Public Utility Commission, to uncover the innovative approach that turned Texas into a renewable energy powerhouse. It’s a story about what could get done before partis...

Who pays for an assassin on the internet? Dark web researcher Carl Miller spent years tracking down the answer to this question. In this chilling talk, he shares how he uncovered real kill orders placed online by seemingly ordinary individuals — and gives an unsettling look at what drives people to the brink. (Note: This talk contains descriptions of violence.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priva...

If food waste were  a country, it’d be the third highest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions after China and the US, says Apeel Senior VP of Operations Jenny Du. Following her talk at TED2025, Du sits down for a conversation with host Sherrell Dorsey on how her lab is creating plant-based coating that can help reduce food spoilage. From combating food deserts to extending shelf life, Jenny an...

Is space the “final frontier” — or the perfect place to revolutionize life on Earth? Space architect Ariel Ekblaw reveals how self-assembling structures could build orbiting real estate in space dedicated to solving humanity’s greatest dilemmas on Earth, leading to scientific and medical breakthroughs only possible in zero gravity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The arrival of non-human intelligence is a very big deal, says former Google CEO and chairman Eric Schmidt. In a wide-ranging interview with technologist Bilawal Sidhu, Schmidt makes the case that AI is wildly underhyped, as near-constant breakthroughs give rise to systems capable of doing even the most complex tasks on their own. He explores the staggering opportunities, sobering challenges and u...

What will dating look like in the age of AI? Whitney Wolfe Herd is the founder and CEO of Bumble, the popular dating app that has helped millions of people meet their match. In this episode, Whitney chats with Adam about her vision for the future of dating online and offline, her decision to take a break from leading Bumble, and the importance of platonic love. They also debate whether or not you...

Cement is one of the most-consumed materials on Earth — second only to water — and it accounts for a whopping eight percent of the world's carbon pollution. What if we could turn this climate villain into a hero? Clean tech innovator and serial entrepreneur Ryan Gilliam reveals his company's surprisingly simple process for transforming waste from the cement-making process back into limestone using...

Artificial intelligence can write a song in seconds, but does that mean human songwriters will become obsolete? Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. doesn’t think so. A songwriter himself, he offers a four-step “survival guide” for human creators to endure the age of AI, urging musicians to embrace technology while preserving the emotional essence of human artistry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.co...

Almost all batteries, even single-use batteries, are theoretically rechargeable. That's because the metals and other chemicals are still there in the battery. So chemically speaking, a dead battery is actually not that different from a fresh one. Then why do batteries die in the first place? And what should you do with them once they're spent? George Zaidan digs into the science of batteries. [Dir...

Yoshua Bengio — the world's most-cited computer scientist and a "godfather" of artificial intelligence — is deadly concerned about the current trajectory of the technology. As AI models race toward full-blown agency, Bengio warns that they've already learned to deceive, cheat, self-preserve and slip out of our control. Drawing on his groundbreaking research, he reveals a bold plan to keep AI safe...

What do you do when there’s too much work but not enough people to do it? Bring in some support! This week, Anne and Frances talk to a listener whose expert sales team can no longer keep up with everything the company offers. Together, Anne and Frances outline ways to simplify work for a stressed out team—including the use of AI to reduce complexity and increase capacity. They also offer advice fo...