TED Tech

#43 in Technology this week

From the construction of virtual realities to the internet of things to the watches on our wrists—technology's influence is everywhere. Its role in our lives is evolving fast, and we're faced with riveting questions and tough challenges that sit at the intersection of technology and humanity. Listen in every Friday, with host, journalist Sherrell Dorsey, as TED speakers explore the way tech shapes how we think about society, science, design, business, and more.

Follow Sherrell on Instagram @sherrell_dorsey and on LinkedIn @sherrelldorsey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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August 31 · 34 min
Alternative Future (#1): AI is changing how we talk and think. How can we stop it? with Adam Aleksic and Advait Sarkar
Algorithms and AI don’t show us reality, but that doesn’t stop people from treating ChatGPT and online bots as our personalized therapists, travel planners, and editors. In this episode, Sherrell is sharing two talks on how AI is changing the way we’re influenced. From shaping our language to becoming “middle managers of our own thoughts,” these speakers ask what happens when we offload critical thinking to a machine. Talks featured Why are people starting to sound like ChatGPT? | Adam Aleksic How to stop AI from killing your critical thinking | Advait Sarkar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
August 31 · 7 min
Alternative Future (#2): What Earth in 2125 could look like | Iseult Gillespie
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. [Directed by Devin Clark, Augenblick Studios, narrated by Alexandra Panzer, music by Tom Kaericher]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
August 31 · 14 min
Alternative Future (#3): How to build in space for life on Earth | Ariel Ekblaw
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.
August 31 · 14 min
Alternative Future (#4): The food that fertilizes itself | Giles E.D. Oldroyd
Could the key to a sustainable food system already be growing in the world’s farms? Plant scientist Giles E.D. Oldroyd explores how a special quirk of soybean plants allows them to naturally partner with networks of fungi and bacteria to access essential nutrients in the air and soil — eliminating the need for synthetic fertilizers. He shows how harnessing these microscopic powerhouses could help scientists rewire crops to make their own fertilizer, reducing pollution, increasing yields and improving livelihoods for smallholder farmers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
August 31 · 21 min
Alternative Future (#5): Who owns the internet of the future? | Ordinary Things
The emergence of data-driven mass surveillance "is threatening to turn privacy into a relic of the 20th century," says the anonymous YouTube creator known as Ordinary Things. Meanwhile, state-funded troll farms are spreading disinformation and curating chaos on platforms meant to connect us and revolutionize the way we live. This week, we're revisiting a talk in which Ordinary Things gives an enlightening account of the internet's strengths and weaknesses, warning that the fight for a free internet is a fight for our collective future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
August 28 · 33 min
Why humans should merge with AI | D. Scott Phoenix
Deep tech entrepreneur D. Scott Phoenix spent years building AI — now, he believes we're on the cusp of a profound merger between humans and machines. Reframing the AI debate through the lens of evolutionary biology, he shifts the question from whether we should fear or embrace AI to whether we understand what's at stake if we get it wrong. Hear his provocative case for why we need to "eat the AI." After the talk, Sherrell interviews Baratunde Thurston, host of Life with Machines, on how to live well with technology. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
August 21 · 19 min
Why AI isn't going to become conscious | Anil Seth
We see consciousness in AI the same way we see faces in clouds, says neuroscientist Anil Seth. He explores the all-too-human tendency to project inner life onto machines that are brilliant mimics, not sentient beings, and gives a definitive answer to the urgent question: Will AI ever gain consciousness? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
August 14 · 27 min
How to parent in the age of AI with Stephen Remedios and Avni Patel Thompson
Outsourcing parenthood can feel like the ultimate life hack. Less noise. Fewer interruptions. But at what cost? In today’s episode, Sherrell shares two talks on parenting in the age of AI. First, a father who handed the job to AI and learned something no algorithm could teach him. Then, a founder who says the goal was never to outsource the parenting but to lighten the load for the people carrying the most. Talks featured I let DaddyGPT parent my kids. Here's what I learned | Stephen Remedios Can AI help with the chaos of family life? | Avni Patel Thompson Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
August 7 · 15 min
Exploring the ocean through whales with Eric Stackpole
What if you stuck a camera onto a whale’s back before it dives underwater? What would you discover and what would you hear? In this episode, Sherrell shares a talk from an ocean explorer who captured something no one had ever seen. Then, she shares a TED-Ed lesson that explains the mechanics of whale communication and why their sounds are so melodic. Talks featured A Whale’s Eyeview of the Ocean | Eric Stackpole Why do Whales Sing? | TED Ed Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 31 · 28 min
The hidden health benefits of wearables technology with Michael Snyder
Michael Snyder is a professor and genomicist who wears eight pieces of wearable technology every day: four smartwatches, two rings, and two hearing aids. These devices give him a personal data dashboard to help him understand his health in real time. In this interview, Michael joins Sherrell to discuss how wearables can help you identify health conditions, from irregular heartbeats to a COVID-19 exposure, to even which food triggers your glucose spike. The two also talk about why everyone should wear a CGM (continuous glucose monitor), how wearing wearables can help you stay more accountable to your health goals, and why it’s important to know who owns your data. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 24 · 11 min
Sherrell's Top 5 (#1): How we built Watch Duty, the lifesaving wildfire alert app with John Mills
After finding himself alone in an unreported wildfire in the woodlands of California, John Mills decided to take matters into his own hands. Hear the incredible story of how he rallied fire survivors and retired first responders to create Watch Duty, the nonprofit emergency alert system that’s beating official government warnings and buying people precious minutes to escape danger. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 24 · 13 min
Sherrell's Top 5 (#2): Inside India's astonishing solar revolution with Kanika Chawla
In 2014, the world’s second largest coal consumer made a bold promise: to increase its solar capacity from three gigawatts to 100 gigawatts in just eight years. Many people called it overly ambitious, but energy expert Kanika Chawla saw the opportunity of a lifetime. She tells the story of how India became a solar powerhouse, turning an expensive dream into an economic reality — and creating a model for other countries to follow suit. After, Sherrell reflects on what drives the green economy and the growth strategy other companies can follow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 24 · 23 min
Sherrell's Top 5 (#3): How one of China’s biggest tech companies is tackling carbon removal with Xu Hao
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 “TED Tech” podcast, to talk about how megacorporation can help advance the climate movement. He also explores the current state of carbon removal technology and how Tencent’s video games are becoming an unlikely source of climate education for hundreds of thousands of people. This is episode three of a four-part series airing this month on TED Tech, where host and climate tech journalist Sherrell Dorsey speaks with climate leaders on the technology sparking a greener, more equitable future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 24 · 9 min
Sherrell's Top 5 (#4): The multidimensional magic of modern maps | Peter Wilczynski
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.com/privacy for more information.
July 24 · 17 min
Sherrell's Top 5 (#5): How to pull the emergency brake on global warming with Mohamed A. Sultan
Landfills across African cities are catching fire and releasing methane, an invisible greenhouse gas with more short-term warming potential than CO2. Sustainable strategist Mohamed A. Sultan reveals how local communities are turning this crisis into opportunity, diverting hundreds of tons of waste from landfills and helping thousands of farmers adopt more sustainable techniques. Learn why cutting methane emissions is a win-win opportunity to drive down global temperatures while also creating more livable cities. (This ambitious idea is part of The Audacious Project, TED’s initiative to inspire and fund global change.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 17 · 20 min
How to power the world – and accelerate clean energy with Kimiko Hirata
How much electricity does humanity use? And how can we ensure that the energy we need in the future is also clean? In this episode, Sherrell shares two talks on how one climate advocate in Japan is convincing the country to adopt renewable energy, and a TED-Ed lesson that dives into the complex systems required to power the world. Talks featured A cheat sheet for accelerating clean energy | Kimiko Hirata How much electricity is needed to power the world? | TED Ed Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 10 · 22 min
How to pick the right path forward with AI with Alvin W. Graylin and Manoush Zomorodi
“Entry-level hiring has collapsed — because Agentic AI is now doing the work that used to train junior developers, researchers, and analysts,” says TED Tech host Sherrell Dorsey. In this episode, Sherrell shares two talks on the future of AI. First, Alvin W. Graylin is in conversation with TED Radio Hour host Manoush Zomorodi at TED Next 2025 on the policies that can help people whose jobs are threatened by AI. Then dive into a TED-Ed lesson on technological inventions throughout the centuries and AI impact on humanity’s future. Talks featured 3 possible futures for AI — which will we choose? | Alvin W. Graylin and Manoush Zomorodi Is AI the most important technology of the century? | TED-Ed Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 3 · 46 min
Is your electric bill about to go up? with Asim Z. Haque
The grid powering millions of homes and businesses on the East Coast was never built to handle the surging demand from data centers and the AI boom. So what happens when the system designed to carry that load starts falling behind and consumers start seeing rate hikes? In this miniseries finale, Sherrell sits down with Asim Z. Haque, Senior Vice President of Governmental & Member Services at PJM Interconnection, to talk about the state of our energy infrastructure. Then after the interview, Sherrell shares a talk from Varun Sivaram on how AI can scale responsibly and help solve the energy crisis it created. Talk featured How AI Can Solve Its Own Energy Crisis | Varun Sivaram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
June 26 · 34 min
Power Without a Playbook with Kristen Gonzalez
With data centers popping up throughout the country, what does accountability look like for local governments? In this episode, Sherrell is in conversation with New York State Senator Kristen Gonzalez discussing the role policy can play in the development –or lack thereof– of data center construction. Afterwards, stick around for a talk from Sasha Luccioni on the alternative AI models that could make technology smarter, fairer and more sustainable. Talk featured We're Doing AI All Wrong. Here's How to Get It Right | Sasha Luccioni Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
June 19 · 39 min
What does the Cloud drink? with Sarah Houston
Every time you run an AI query, a pump turns on somewhere. In Memphis, Tennessee, that pump draws from one of the purest aquifers in the world. That same water supply is already threatened by a century of industrial pollution. Community organizer Sarah Houston shares what xAI's five-million-gallon-a-day habit is costing the communities closest to Colossus. Then, a talk from Ayşe Coskun on who pays the price when development comes to town. Talk featured The Story You're Not Hearing About AI Data Centers | Ayşe Coskun Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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