The urgent risks of runaway AI -- and what to do about them | Gary Marcus

The world is heading toward a massive copper shortage that could derail the clean energy transition, says mining expert Jeff More. He shows how advanced sensing technology could get us back on the right track, drastically cutting down on the wasted materials from traditional mining and helping meet the growing demand for essential metals. Want to help shape TED’s shows going forward? Fill out our survey! Become a TED Member today at ted.com/join Learn more about TED Next at ted.com/futureyou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ethan Lindenberger never got vaccinated as a kid. So one day, he went on Reddit and asked a simple question: "Where do I go to get vaccinated?" The post went viral, landing Lindenberger in the middle of a heated debate about vaccination and, ultimately, in front of a US Senate committee. Less than a year later, the high school senior reports back on his unexpected time in the spotlight and a new movement he's leading to fight misinformation and advocate for scientific truth. After the talk, Shoshana interviews Dr. Jennifer Reich, a sociologist, and asks the question, “Where has vaccine mistrust come from?” -- and how transparency in clinical trials and federal advisory boards are key in gaining community trust. Want to help shape TED’s shows going forward? Fill out our survey! Become a TED Member today at ted.com/join Learn more about TED Next at ted.com/futureyou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Everybody likes nature, even though we’re watching it slowly degrade away. And that’s the big challenge of our time,” says linguist software engineer Jeffrey T. Reed, a research affiliate with the Cry Wolf Project. Following his talk at TED2025, Reed sits down for a conversation with host Sherrell Dorsey on how listening to sounds like bird chirps and a wolf’s howl connects us with the world around us — and how AI technology can help us further understand these natural phenomena. To watch Jeffrey's 2025 TED Talk, click here! Want to help shape TED’s shows going forward? Fill out our survey! Become a TED Member today at ted.com/join Learn more about TED Next at ted.com/futureyou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Industrial manufacturers spend a huge amount of energy generating heat to make everyday materials and objects, like cement, steel, and paper. And since most companies use fossil fuels to reach these high temperatures, industrial heat accounts for 20% of our annual global carbon pollution. Thankfully, this is where a century-old technology comes in. Rachel Yang explores how heat batteries work. [Directed by Sofia Pashaei, narrated by Pen-Pen Chen, music by Cem Misirlioglu, WORKPLAYWORK]. Want to help shape TED’s shows going forward? Fill out our survey! Become a TED Member today at ted.com/join Learn more about TED Next at ted.com/futureyou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Generative AI is built on three key resources: people, compute and data. While companies invest heavily in the first two, they often use unlicensed creative work as training data without permission or payment — a practice that pits AI against the very creators it relies on. AI expert Ed Newton-Rex has a solution: licensing. He unpacks the dark side of today's AI models and outlines a plan to ensure that both AI companies and creators can thrive together. After the talk, Sherrell reflects on the issue of copyright and how to ensure creators are fairly compensated. Want to help shape TED’s shows going forward? Fill out our survey! Become a TED Member today at ted.com/join Learn more about TED Next at ted.com/futureyou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.