TED Tech podcast

TED Tech

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  TED Tech  

From the construction of virtual realities to the internet of things—technology is changing our world every day. But how can we make sure that the quickly-evolving role that tech plays in our lives is one that builds, empowers, and connects us? Host Sherrell Dorsey guides you through the latest ideas from TED Speakers, uncovering the riveting questions that sit at the intersection of technology, society, science, design, business, and innovation. Listen in every Friday.

From the construction of virtual realities to the internet of things—technology is changing our world every day. But how can we make sure that the quickly-evolving role that tech plays in our lives is one that builds, empowers, and connects us? Host Sherrell Dorsey guides you through the latest ideas from TED Speakers, uncovering the riveting questions that sit at the intersection of technology, society, science, design, business, and innovation. Listen in every Friday.

 

#183

How quadratic funding could finance your dreams | Kevin Owocki

What if your $1 donation could result in a $100 contribution to a cause you believe in? That’s the promise of quadratic funding: a new kind of crowdfunding model that uses math to distribute funds based on the number of contributors, rather than the amount given. Gitcoin founder Kevin Owocki dives into the principles and pitfalls of this approach to philanthropy, where “many small donors are more powerful than one large donor.” After the talk, Sherrell reflects on how digital tools are transforming the way communities get their needs met.  ... Read more

Yesterday

14 MINS

14:29

Yesterday


#182

The TED AI Show: Building an AI creator community w/ Civitai founders Justin Meyer and Maxfield Hulk...

Ever since generative AI tools like Midjourney became available to the public in 2022, curious users and AI fanatics alike have been experimenting with the technology. But for tech aficionados and AI enthusiasts like Justin Meyer and Maxfield Hulker, Midjourney’s closed-source model wasn’t enough — they wanted to go deeper. That’s why Justin and Max created Citivai, an open-source generative AI tool and social platform where users can create, share, and experiment with new image generation models. They sit down with Bilawal to discuss why community is so important to open-source development, the future of algorithmic personalization, and the famous so-called “dead internet theory.” They also unpack the risks of open-source development, and emphasize the importance of setting boundaries to keep users safe — while acknowledging the important role that “not-safe-for-work” content has played in the evolution of these powerful tools.For transcripts for The TED AI Show, visit [go.ted.com/TTAIS-transcripts] (https://www.ted.com/podcasts/the-ted-ai-show-transcripts)      ... Read more

19 Nov 2024

49 MINS

49:45

19 Nov 2024


#181

What’s next for immersive storytelling? | Mark Grimmer

"New possibilities for storytelling are emerging faster than at any other time in history," says film producer Mark Grimmer. With an immersive approach to art exhibitions, he shares several multidisciplinary projects — including a kaleidoscopic exhibit of David Bowie's world-changing career and a luminous, interactive show that brings visitors inside the paintings of David Hockney — and shows what's possible when ideas collide. ... Read more

15 Nov 2024

14 MINS

14:33

15 Nov 2024


#180

The TED AI Show: An AI chatbot that talks back w/ ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode

When it comes to preparing for an interview or making an important life decision, more and more people are turning to AI for advice. ChatGPT’s new voice interface, Advanced Voice Mode, allows users to speak out loud and converse with a chatbot as they would with another human — but is it really as seamless as a chat with a friend? Bilawal runs a series of experiments with Advanced Voice Mode to test the limits of this new technology and its potential uses, from weighing the pros and cons of a cross-country move to coaching an intense personal workout. He and producer Dominic Girard discuss the potential benefits and dangers of this new advancement, and ask perhaps the most important question of all: Can ChatGPT pronounce Bilawal’s name?  For transcripts for The TED AI Show, visit [go.ted.com/TTAIS-transcripts] (http://go.ted.com/TTAIS-transcripts)      ... Read more

12 Nov 2024

30 MINS

30:38

12 Nov 2024


#179

The sweet future of vertical farming | Hiroki Koga

Can strawberries grown inside a building taste sweeter than those grown in a field? Farming entrepreneur Hiroki Koga explores how his team is combining solar-powered vertical farms with AI, robotics and indoor bee colonies to grow delicious strawberries year-round — and how this practice, if widely adopted, could deliver a harvest of benefits for the future of food. After the talk, Sherrell dives deeper into the impact of vertical farming.  ... Read more

08 Nov 2024

13 MINS

13:14

08 Nov 2024


#178

The TED AI Show: How AI is changing national security w/ Kathleen Fisher

We’ve had conversations about AI’s online influence on politics, from deepfakes to misinformation. But AI can also have profound effects on hardware – especially when it comes to national security and military capabilities like weapons and stealth technologies. Kathleen Fisher is an office director at DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency tasked with the research and development of emerging technologies for use by the U.S. military. Despite its bureaucratic name, DARPA is anything but conventional – and they’re solving problems that are thrillingly complex. Kathleen shares how her team employs nimble thinking to understand the state of AI across the globe. Then, she and Bilawal discuss the strategies needed to embrace the possibilities –and challenges– of AI now, and what we need to do to build a sustainable future.For transcripts for The TED AI Show, visit [go.ted.com/TTAIS-transcripts] (http://go.ted.com/TTAIS-transcripts)   ... Read more

05 Nov 2024

55 MINS

55:01

05 Nov 2024


#177

Could we build a miniature sun on Earth? | George Zaidan

Stars have cores hot and dense enough to force atomic nuclei together, forming larger, heavier nuclei in a process known as fusion. In this process, the mass of the end products is slightly less than the mass of the initial atoms. But that “lost” mass doesn’t disappear — it’s converted to energy ... a lot of energy. So, can we harness this energy to power the world? George Zaidan investigates. This TED-Ed lesson was directed by Igor Ćorić, Artrake Studio, narrated by George Zaidan and the music is by Cem Misirlioglu and Brooks Ball. ... Read more

01 Nov 2024

06 MINS

06:46

01 Nov 2024


#176

The TED AI Show: How open-source AI will reshape power dynamics in tech w/ Hugging Face CSO Thomas W...

Many people associate innovation with secrecy—privately toiling away on a project until you're ready to share it with the world. While that may work for some, there's a benefit to putting all your cards on the table. Bilawal sits down for a conversation with Thomas Wolf, whose company Hugging Face pivoted from privately building an AI chatbot to sharing all of its knowledge with a growing online community. Thomas discusses the history of Hugging Face, why embracing open source development has shifted the trajectory of AI, and how open source can challenge existing power structures in the AI world. For transcripts for The TED AI Show, visit [go.ted.com/TTAIS-transcripts] (http://go.ted.com/TTAIS-transcripts)   ... Read more

29 Oct 2024

40 MINS

40:11

29 Oct 2024


#175

Can AI preserve your most precious memories? | Pau Aleikum Garcia

“Memories are the architects of our identity,” says technologist Pau Aleikum Garcia, but they’re not permanent. Photos can be lost amid political unrest or natural disaster, while illnesses like Alzhemier’s can rob people of their past. He puts forward a novel solution — “synthetic memories,” or dreamlike visualizations of long-gone moments created through generative AI — and explores how it could reconnect families or even enhance cognitive abilities. ... Read more

25 Oct 2024

13 MINS

13:06

25 Oct 2024


#174

The TED AI Show: How AI is changing who gets hired – and who doesn’t w/ Hilke Schellmann

From vetting resumes to screening candidates, many employers are using AI tools to identify top talent. But what happens when companies start relying on AI to help them decide who to hire or promote…and who to fire? Bilawal speaks with journalist Hilke Schellmann, whose research on the rapidly growing use of AI in the workplace highlights where algorithms are helping – and hurting – business. Hilke shares the surprising (and not surprising) ways AI works in the hiring process, and argues that transparency, regulation, and oversight are essential if AI is going to actually benefit employees and employers. For transcripts for The TED AI Show, visit [go.ted.com/TTAIS-transcripts] (http://go.ted.com/TTAIS-transcripts)   ... Read more

22 Oct 2024

39 MINS

39:06

22 Oct 2024


#173

Time traveling with AI to connect with lost loved ones | Amy Kurzweil

What if AI could bring the past to life? Cartoonist Amy Kurzweil shares how she helped train an AI chatbot on her late grandfather’s archives, allowing her to connect with a family member she never met — and discover family history she never knew. Backed by her own original drawings, she reveals the profound impact art and AI can have in keeping memories alive. ... Read more

18 Oct 2024

10 MINS

10:43

18 Oct 2024


#172

The TED AI Show: How Meta wants to shape our digital future with open source AI w/ Ragavan Srinivasa...

Llama is Meta’s Large Language Model trained on over 15 trillion tokens of publicly available information. It’s available to anyone – from people making custom fan-made entertainment on a smartphone… to, potentially, complex projects that may not have the public’s well-being in mind. So if Llama is such a widely available and powerful product, why is Meta releasing it – for free? Bilawal chats with Meta’s own Vice President of Product, Ragavan Srinivasan, to discuss the pressing questions around Llama’s benefits and risks.For transcripts for The TED AI Show, visit go.ted.com/TTAIS-transcripts ... Read more

15 Oct 2024

50 MINS

50:14

15 Oct 2024


#171

The invisible networks shaping your everyday life | Deb Chachra

The basic infrastructure that controls plumbing, electricity and more is vital to your individual agency, says engineering professor Deb Chachra. She offers a crash course on how these systems connect to shape our lives — and suggests some key improvements for providing long-term, sustainable energy to everyone. After the talk, Sherrell reflects on how these solutions, if widely implemented, could transform lives across the world. ... Read more

11 Oct 2024

17 MINS

17:11

11 Oct 2024


#170

The TED AI Show: Is Google’s reign over? The future of AI search w/ Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas

Whether finding a restaurant or fact-checking a new claim, search engines are one of the main avenues we use to navigate the world. So why are modern engines so clunky and frustrating – and how is AI already changing the infrastructure we use to access information on the internet? Bilawal sits down with CEO of Perplexity AI Aravind Srinivas to discuss how we got to a world with too many links, and what the future may hold for your experience on the web. ... Read more

08 Oct 2024

35 MINS

35:51

08 Oct 2024


#169

The innovators building Africa's thriving tech scene | Peace Itimi

“A new reality has emerged, one where ambitious Africans are writing their own stories as builders and as innovators,” says business storyteller Peace Itimi. Taking us inside Africa’s booming tech scene, she highlights the trailblazing entrepreneurs and startups reshaping Africa's economy through innovation and ambition. ... Read more

04 Oct 2024

09 MINS

09:20

04 Oct 2024


#168

The TED AI Show: How AI will transform dubbing in Hollywood w/ Scott Mann

If you've ever cringed at a poorly-dubbed film, you are not alone. That's why Scott Mann founded Flawless, a company that’s transforming the world of dubbing using AI. He talks with Bilawal about why good dubbing is essential for movie making and shares the mind-blowing technology that not only lets Robert DeNiro speak perfect Spanish, but radically changes how films might get made. The two also discuss what to keep in mind as creativity, industry, and AI technology continue to intertwine -- and what we need to protect artists' rights. ... Read more

01 Oct 2024

40 MINS

40:44

01 Oct 2024


#167

The missing piece of the clean energy transition | Sheila Ngozi Oparaocha

The clean energy transition has a major blind spot, says energy equity expert Sheila Ngozi Oparaocha: it ignores millions of people without access to energy. Highlighting grassroots women's organizations leading the charge towards universal access, she makes a powerful call to prioritize gender equality in energy policies — and to create a sustainable future where no one is left in the dark. ... Read more

27 Sep 2024

12 MINS

12:36

27 Sep 2024


#166

The TED AI Show: The UN is speaking up about AI — here’s what they’re saying

AI is shaping every aspect of our lives — but only a handful of tech giants are having a say in what this technology can do. So what’s going on with world governments? Bilawal sits down with geopolitical expert Ian Bremmer to unpack the UN’s just-released plan for “Governing AI for Humanity,” a report that focuses on the urgent need to guide AI towards helping everyone – rather than the powerful few – thrive. Together, they explore the complexities of AI’s rapid growth on a worldwide scale and take a clear-eyed look at the pivotal decisions facing us in the very near future.  For transcripts for The TED AI Show, visit [go.ted.com/TTAIS-transcripts] (http://go.ted.com/TTAIS-transcripts)   ... Read more

24 Sep 2024

53 MINS

53:56

24 Sep 2024


#165

The secret force for limitless energy? Lasers | Tammy Ma

In 2022, physicist Tammy Ma and the team at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory achieved a scientific breakthrough decades in the making: fusion ignition, or the combining of two atoms to generate more energy out of a reaction than was put in — recreating on Earth the same process that powers the Sun. She explains how they used a giant laser (way, way bigger than you're thinking) to catalyze this reaction and shares a vision for how this technology could change the world by creating limitless clean energy. ... Read more

20 Sep 2024

15 MINS

15:16

20 Sep 2024


#164

The TED AI Show: Humanity’s first AI election w/ WIRED's Vittoria Elliott

2024 is the biggest election year in modern history, with over 50 countries going out to the polls across the globe. And artificial intelligence has fully seeped into global politics – from deepfakes to AI bots that can ingest thousands and thousands of documents to make policy decisions. Bilawal talks with journalist Vittoria Elliot, who’s been leading on WIRED’s AI Elections Projects, to discuss how AI is reshaping the political landscape in surprising ways. The two explore the good, the bad, and the downright bizarre – and share what the U.S. can learn from other countries to adapt and critically engage with "the new normal."For transcripts for The TED AI Show, visit [go.ted.com/TTAIS-transcripts] (http://go.ted.com/TTAIS-transcripts)   ... Read more

17 Sep 2024

38 MINS

38:32

17 Sep 2024


#163

The satellite helping slow climate change — right now | Millie Chu Baird

Meet MethaneSAT: the satellite circling Earth right now to track global emissions from methane: a highly potent, short-term greenhouse gas. Environmental advocate Millie Chu Baird details the heat-trapping side effects of a planet full of methane — and explains why understanding where it comes from and taking steps to reduce it is the single most important thing we can do to affect climate change in our lifetimes. MethaneSAT is part of the Audacious Project, TED's initiative to inspire and fund global change. After the talk, Sherrell expands on what this powerful tech could mean for humanity.  ... Read more

13 Sep 2024

10 MINS

10:56

13 Sep 2024


#162

The TED AI Show: Can AI read your mind? The battle for your brain w/ Nita Farahany

Imagine a world where your thoughts are no longer private – where employers, friends, and even companies can see, hack, or exploit your thinking. According to ethicist Nita Farahany, that reality is closer than you think. Nita and Bilawal discuss the rapidly advancing field of neurotechnology and its potential to completely transform our everyday lives, from tools that could help you deeply understand your health to tech that could manipulate your dreams. Nita also shares why we need to protect our "cognitive liberty" and how to exercise our rights to think freely in an age of mind-reading technology.For transcripts for The TED AI Show, visit go.ted.com/TTAIS-transcripts   ... Read more

10 Sep 2024

35 MINS

35:22

10 Sep 2024


#161

Quantum computers aren't what you think — they're cooler | Hartmut Neven

Quantum computers obtain superpowers by tapping into parallel universes, says Hartmut Neven, the founder and lead of Google Quantum AI. He explains how this emerging tech can far surpass traditional computers by relying on quantum physics rather than binary logic, and shares a roadmap to build the ultimate quantum computer. Learn how this fascinating and powerful tech can help humanity take on seemingly unsolvable problems in medicine, sustainable energy, AI, neuroscience and more. ... Read more

06 Sep 2024

12 MINS

12:18

06 Sep 2024