AI won't kill us all — but that doesn't make it trustworthy. Instead of getting distracted by future existential risks, AI ethics researcher Sasha Luccioni thinks we need to focus on the technology's current negative impacts, like emitting carbon, infringing copyrights and spreading biased information. She offers practical solutions to regulate our AI-filled future — so it's inclusive and transparent.
The current explosion of exciting commercial and open-source AI is likely to be followed, within a few years, by creepily superintelligent AI – which top researchers and experts fear could disempower or wipe out humanity. Scientist Max Tegmark describes an optimistic vision for how we can keep AI under control and ensure it's working for us, not the other way around.
Drawing on his decades-long mission to formulate the world in computational terms, Stephen Wolfram delivers a profound vision of computation and its role in the future of AI. Amid a debut of mesmerizing visuals depicting the underlying structure of the universe, he provides a sweeping survey of his life's work, offering a new perspective on the applications — and consequences — of AI powered by computational language.
US Congresswoman Lucy McBath has made it her mission to seek bipartisan solutions for gun safety, leading the way in sponsoring so-called "red flag" laws that prevent gun violence and mass shootings. In a searing and timely talk, she shares the personal story that led her to this work — and a message for why comprehensive, common-sense gun legislation in the US is more urgent than ever.
Using paychecks, perks and carefully worded mission statements plastered on posters, companies are on a never-ending quest to find what drives morale at work. An underappreciated solution lies in the answer to one simple question, says management researcher David Burkus. With notable examples backed by decades of success, he presents a clear path to inspiring your team — and finding your purpose at work.
There's a saying that comedy is tragedy plus time. Perhaps that's why some of our biggest problems feel easiest to manage with a dose of humor. Comedian, journalist and actor Roy Wood Jr. has spent his career finding the silly in the serious and using this tactic to influence real change. Listen in to learn how you can tap into the powers of humor in your own life. (This conversation, hosted by comedian Chris Duffy, was part of an exclusive TED Membership event. TED Membership is the best way to support and engage with the big ideas you love from TED. To learn more, visit ted.com/membership.)
When technologist Luis von Ahn was building the popular language-learning platform Duolingo, he faced a big problem: Could an app designed to teach you something ever compete with addictive platforms like Instagram and TikTok? He explains how Duolingo harnesses the psychological techniques of social media and mobile games to get you excited to learn — all while spreading access to education across the world.
Every day, people around the world spend 16 billion hours on unpaid care work — cooking for families, caring for children and older relatives and other routine household tasks — often in addition to other jobs. Employment advocate Sharmi Surianarain says we need to not only acknowledge this labor but also build supportive workplaces that put policies with care work top of mind.
