TED Tech

We're still in the dark about what 95 percent of our universe is made of — and the standard model for understanding particle physics has hit a limit. What's the next step forward? Particle physicist Alex Keshavarzi digs into the first results of the Muon g-2 experiment at Fermilab in Chicago, which found compelling evidence of new particles or forces existing in our universe — a finding that could act as a window into the subatomic world and deepen our understanding of the fabric of reality.

Like many new, exciting artistic technologies before it, the development of AI is begging us to ask: what counts as art? In a provocative conversation, Claire Silver, an anonymous AI collaborative artist, sits down with Bilawal to talk about how AI has revolutionized her own mixed media practice, and why she thinks that AI may be an inextricable part of human creativity in the near future. For transcripts for The TED AI Show, visit go.ted.com/TTAIS-transcripts

Can AI help catch oceanic outlaws? From drug smugglers to modern-day pirates, maritime crime fighter Dyhia Belhabib introduces Heva: an AI-powered tool that aggregates international criminal records to detect and stop crime that might otherwise get swept away in the tide. After the talk, Sherrell dives deeper into how technology can help us keep our oceans safe.

If there’s one AI company that’s made a splash in mainstream vernacular, it’s OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. Former board member and AI policy expert Helen Toner joins Bilawal to discuss the existing knowledge gaps and conflicting interests between those who are in charge of making the latest technology – and those who create our policies at the government level. For transcripts for The TED AI Show, visit go.ted.com/TTAIS-transcripts

How is AI changing the nature of human imagination and creativity? Through a mind-bending tour of new techniques he's been tinkering with, creative technologist Bilawal Sidhu shows how anyone can use AI-powered tools — like 3D scans that let you redesign the physical world in real time — to expand the possibilities of artistic expression, often within just minutes. After the talk, join Sherrell in conversation with Bilawal — and learn about our new podcast he’s hosting, the TED AI Show, which can be found anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Could you spot a deepfake? We’re entering a new world where generative AI is challenging our sense of what’s real and what’s fiction. In our first episode, Bilawal and Sam Gregory, a human rights activist and technologist, discuss how to protect our sense of reality. This is an episode of The TED AI Show, TED's newest podcast. Sure, some predictions about AI are just hype – but others suggest that everything we know is about to fundamentally change. Creative technologist Bilawal Sidhu talks with the world’s leading experts, artists, journalists, and more to explore the thrilling, sometimes terrifying, future ahead. Listen to The TED AI Show on this feed every Tuesday -- or follow The TED AI Show wherever you get your podcasts. For more, visit https://www.ted.com/podcasts/the-ted-ai-show

Why hasn't the dream of having a robot at home to do your chores become a reality yet? With three decades of research expertise in the field, roboticist Ken Goldberg sheds light on the clumsy truth about robots — and what it will take to build more dexterous machines to work in a warehouse or help out at home.

As companies introduce AI into the workplace to increase productivity, an uncomfortable paradox is emerging: people are often responsible for training the very systems that might displace them. AI ethics advocate Madison Mohns presents three leadership principles to embrace technological progress while prioritizing your coworkers' well-being — paving the way for a future where AI enhances human potential.

Modern life runs on wireless technology. What if the energy powering our devices could also be transmitted without wires? This week we are revisiting a talk by electrical engineer Ali Hajimiri, where he explains the principles behind wireless energy transfer and shares his far-out vision for launching flexible solar panels into space in order to collect sunlight, convert it to electrical power and then beam it down to Earth. Learn how this technology could power everything — and light up our world from space.

We don't have to sacrifice our freedom for the sake of technological progress, says social technologist Divya Siddarth. She shares how a group of people helped retrain one of the world's most powerful AI models on a constitution they wrote — and offers a vision of technology that aligns with the principles of democracy, rather than conflicting with them.

Is cybercrime getting easier? Cybersecurity expert Ryan Pullen dives into his work investigating massive digital breaches and testing security blindspots — which led to him gaining access to the software controls of a well-known building in London. Learn more about how cybercriminals exploit human vulnerabilities and hear the latest on how to recognize and protect yourself from scams.

Is AI about to change everything? Whether you’re optimistic, pessimistic, or somewhere in between about the power of artificial intelligence, join host Bilawal Sidhu and the world's leading experts, artists, journalists, and beyond, as they guide you through this fast-moving world on TED’s latest podcast, The TED AI Show. Find The TED AI Show wherever you get your podcasts.

A game-changing solution to the global food crisis could come from something so tiny you can't see it with the naked eye. Nanomaterials chemist Christy Haynes describes her team's work designing nanoparticles that could protect plants from disease and crop loss, helping farmers reap abundant harvests and grow food that will make its way to markets and dinner tables. After the talk, Sherrell shares thoughts on the possibilities of precision agriculture.

What if you could own more clothes without crowding your closet or growing your carbon footprint? Introducing the dematerialized future of your wardrobe, digital fashion entrepreneur Karinna Grant talks about the brands selling pixelated clothes via NFTs and augmented reality — and explores the creative and sustainable potential of fashion that transcends physical constraints.

Researcher Jim Fan presents the next grand challenge in the quest for AI: the "foundation agent," which would seamlessly operate across both the virtual and physical worlds. He explains how this technology could fundamentally change our lives — permeating everything from video games and metaverses to drones and humanoid robots — and explores how a single model could master skills across these different realities.

This is an episode of the latest season of The TED Interview, focused on Infectious Generosity. To get a free copy of the Infectious Generosity book, visit ted.com/generosity Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft and the co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is one of the top ten richest people in the world. But since 2008, he has traded his day-to-day role with Microsoft to focus full-time on his foundation's work to expand opportunity around the world. Chris interviews Bill about his philanthropy philosophy and digs into the opportunities and challenges that face one of the largest private charitable foundations in the world. The two also discuss The Giving Pledge, the movement Bill co-founded with Warren Buffet, which encourages wealthy individuals to commit the majority of their wealth to charitable causes within their lifetimes. Chris and Bill examine the importance of solving the world’s most pressing problems efficiently, talk about why meaningful change requires scale, and compare notes on how to best encourage collective excitement about giving back. If you enjoy this, listen to The TED Interview wherever you’re getting this.

Delaney left a fulfilling teaching career to join the tech industry. But after a round of layoffs left her the sole remaining member of her team, she’s stopped feeling motivated and wants to start carving out time to pursue the artistic projects that actually inspire her. Needing to feel both invigorated and financially secure, In this episode of Fixable, another podcast from the TED Audio Collective, Delaney turns to Anne and Frances for advice. Through a challenging conversation, they map a plan for Delaney to leave every workday energized and ready to chase her passions. Fixable is TED’s business call-in advice show. Frances Frei is a Harvard Business professor. Anne Morriss is a CEO and best-selling author. Anne and Frances are two of the top leadership coaches in the world. Oh, did we mention they're also married to each other? Together, Anne and Frances move fast and fix stuff by talking to guest callers about their workplace issues and solving their problems – in 30 minutes or less. Both listeners and guests will receive actionable insights to create meaningful change in the workplace – regardless of their position on the company ladder. If you want to be on Fixable, call our hotline at 234-Fixable (that's 234-349-2253) to leave Anne and Frances a voicemail with your workplace problem or email fixable@ted.com You can get Fixable wherever you get your podcasts.

Computer scientist Yejin Choi is here to demystify the current state of massive artificial intelligence systems like ChatGPT, highlighting three key problems with cutting-edge large language models (including some funny instances of them failing at basic commonsense reasoning.) She welcomes us into a new era in which AI is becoming almost like a new intellectual species -- and identifies the benefits of building smaller AI systems trained on human norms and values. (Followed by a Q&A with head of TED Chris Anderson)

Demis Hassabis is one of tech's most brilliant minds. A chess-playing child prodigy turned researcher and founder of headline-making AI company DeepMind, Demis is thinking through some of the most revolutionary -- and in some cases controversial -- uses of artificial intelligence. From ​​the development of computer program AlphaGo, which beat out world champions in the board game Go, to making leaps in the research of how proteins fold, Demis is at the helm of the next generation of groundbreaking technology. In this episode of The TED Interview, which will be back for a new season next week, Demis gives a peek into some of the questions that his top-level projects are asking, talks about how gaming, creativity, and intelligence inform his approach to tech, and muses on where AI is headed next. If you like this, listen to The TED Interview wherever you get your podcasts.

Google's chief diversity officer Melonie D. Parker joins journalist and host of the "TED Tech" podcast Sherrell Dorsey for a conversation on fostering belonging and opportunity in the workplace. Learn more about how companies can sustainably promote diversity, equity and inclusion — and why you should aim to "add in," not "fit in." After the interview, Sherrell digs deeper into what it means to feel valued in the workplace.