TED Tech

Episoder

• How to make AI worth your time with Max Mullen | from WorkLife with Molly Graham 29.05.2026 39min

  If you’ve tried AI and felt underwhelmed — or if the constant pressure to “just play around with it” makes you want to throw your laptop across the room — you’re not alone. But according to Max Mullen, co-founder of Instacart and one of the most practical thinkers on this technology, you might be closer to becoming an AI expert than you realize. In this episode, Max makes the case that expertise with AI isn’t about taking a course or spending your weekend trying to learn how to use it. Max talks about how to use AI to solve real problems, why you want to try it more than once, and argues that building a relationship with the tool is the key to getting better and faster results. This is the episode for anyone who’s skeptical, behind, or just exhausted by the hype.WorkLife is a podcast from TED where host and company builder Molly Graham and her expert guests talk through the messy feelings we all experience at work. Ambition and failure, joy and burnout, confidence and self-doubt — this show digs into it all to help you build a career without losing yourself. Listen now: https://link.mgln.ai/WxcTph Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• The past and future of clean transportation with Doreen Orishaba, Daniel Sperling, and Gil Tal 22.05.2026 23min

  Electric vehicles have a surprisingly long history. Battery-powered cars have existed since 1881. So why did the world choose to spend over a century investing in fossil fuels? Sherrell explores this question with a talk from engineer Doreen Orishaba. Doreen built Africa's first electric vehicle and now runs 100+ electric buses across East Africa. Her success proves that the countries that did not inherit a broken infrastructure may be best positioned to build what comes next. Then digs deeper into the background of electric cars in a TED-ED lesson from Daniel Sperling and Gil Tal.Talks featuredHow to make transportation quieter, cleaner and cheaper | Doreen OrishabaTED-ED: The surprisingly long history of electric cars | Daniel Sperling and Gil Tal Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• What big oil is hiding from you with Cindy Taff and Stephanie Honchell Smith 15.05.2026 24min

  Did you know every time you fill up your gas tank, you’re paying two prices? In this episode, Sherrell shares two talks about what Big Oil has built, what it buried, and what this discovery means for our future. Talks featuredHow to power the world 24/7 — without oil | Cindy TaffWhat the oil industry doesn’t want you to know | Stephanie Honchell Smith Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Is AI progress stuck? | Jennifer Golbeck (re-release) 08.05.2026 14min

  Will progress in artificial intelligence continue to accelerate, or have we already hit a plateau? Computer scientist Jennifer Golbeck interrogates some of the most high-profile claims about the promises and pitfalls of AI, cutting through the hype to clarify what's worth getting excited about — and what isn't. After the talk, Modupe reminds us that AI is a tool and it's our responsibility to use it wisely. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Why we need to talk about money to save the planet with Yi Li and Brent Loken 01.05.2026 20min

  “In climate tech, we don’t like talking about money,” says TED Tech host Sherrell Dorsey, but what if avoiding money talk is hurting the planet more than we realize? In this episode, Sherrell is sharing two talks on the past and future of farming and sustainability. Entrepreneur Yi Li speaks on why prioritizing her company’s bottom line is crucial in her work to help Kenyan farmers. Then, Bret Loken explores what farming would look like if it considered profit and scale alongside climate. Talks featuredThe missing piece in climate action (it's not what you think) | Yi LiCan we create the "perfect" farm? | Brent Loken Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• What if our infrastructure could repair itself? with Mark Miodownik and Congrui Jin 24.04.2026 20min

  What if we live in a world where infrastructure maintenance is regenerative? Roads, bridges, and buildings won’t have to rely on taxes or tolls to finance repair, but are constructed with materials capable for self-repair? In this episode, Sherrell is sharing two talks on how two engineers are rethinking ways to design infrastructure that’s greener and more sustainable.Talks featuredThe brilliance of bridges and roads that repair themselves | Mark MiodownikWhat if cracks in concrete could fix themselves? | Congrui Jin Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• The probe on a mission to touch the Sun | Nour E. Rawafi (re-release) 17.04.2026 14min

  From its life-sustaining energy to its explosive geomagnetic storms, the Sun has many mysteries, says astrophysicist Nour E. Rawafi. He sheds light on NASA's latest endeavor to better understand our fiery neighbor and its impact on the future of society: sending the cutting-edge Parker Solar Probe deep into the Sun's atmosphere in humanity's closest-ever approach to a star.This episode originally aired in 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• AI is changing how we talk and think. How can we stop it? with Adam Aleksic and Advait Sarkar 10.04.2026 32min

  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 featuredWhy are people starting to sound like ChatGPT? | Adam AleksicHow to stop AI from killing your critical thinking | Advait Sarkar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• How satellite imagery is helping stop deforestation with Tasso Azevedo and Anna Rothschild 03.04.2026 19min

  From local parks to the Amazon rainforest, trees provide shade and shelters for humans, animals, insects, and many other living creatures. They’re the lungs of our planets, but they’re being threatened by deforestation. In this episode, Sherrell is sharing two talks on what happens if the entire Amazon rainforest disappears… and how one land reformer is using satellite imagery to hold tree cutters accountable.Talk featuredIs the Amazon Rainforest disappearing? | Anna RothschildHow to see (and stop) deforestation from space | Tasso Azevedo Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• How to stop doomscrolling — and what to do instead? (w/ Katherine Cross) | from How to Be a Better Human 27.03.2026 40min

  Is it effective to engage with politics on social media — and what does it take to make actual change? Katherine Cross is a researcher on online harassment and the author of Log Off: Why Posting and Politics (Almost) Never Mix. She shares why she believes social media is “anti-political” and how virtual engagement will not achieve the necessary political work for us. Katherine and Chris also discuss the limitations of short-form content in conveying decades of geopolitical strife, why our lives would be better off without social media, and the guardrails platforms could utilize to help users engage with posts critically and to slow down viral misinformation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Is the AI bubble about to burst? | Henrik Zeberg 20.03.2026 20min

  We are living through what may be the largest economic bubble in history, spanning AI, cryptocurrency and tech company stocks, says financial analyst Henrik Zeberg. He explores why the current AI-crypto bubble mirrors the great economic frenzies of the past, revealing the psychological forces behind them — and why it looks like we're repeating the same patterns again. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Meet NEO, your robot butler in training | Bernt Børnich 13.03.2026 15min

  What if doing your chores were as easy as flipping a switch? In this talk and live demo, roboticist and founder of 1X Bernt Børnich introduces NEO, a humanoid robot designed to help you out around the house. Watch as NEO shows off its ability to vacuum, water plants and keep you company, while Børnich tells the story of its development — and shares a vision for robot helpers that could free up your time to focus on what truly matters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Everything you need to know about AI agents | Swami Sivasubramanian 06.03.2026 22min

  What if you had an AI-powered assistant — that took initiative on its own? Technology leader Swami Sivasubramanian believes AI agents are the future of work, capable of sparking new levels of productivity and creativity. Demystifying the workings of autonomous software systems, he explains what they are (and aren’t) and advocates for a world in which AI handles the boring stuff, so you can focus on what matters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• AI's next frontier isn't where you might expect | Hardy Pemhiwa 27.02.2026 17min

  With a billion mobile phone users and a median population age of 19, Africa isn't catching up to the AI revolution — it's writing an entirely different playbook, says business leader Hardy Pemhiwa. He shows how a generation of entrepreneurs is using AI to teach classes, triage patients and boost farm yields through the power of local compute, local data and local languages. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• How we built Watch Duty, the lifesaving wildfire alert app | John Mills 20.02.2026 10min

  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.
• How satellites are supporting farmers across Africa | Catherine Nakalembe 13.02.2026 12min

  More than 8,000 satellites orbit Earth, taking photos every day. Food security specialist and TED Fellow Catherine Nakalembe shows how she uses this imagery to help smallholder farmers across Africa prepare for floods, droughts and crop failures. Learn why real innovation isn’t always about shinier technology — it’s about making the tech truly fit the problem it’s solving. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• The best thing that could happen to the energy industry | Matt Tilleard 06.02.2026 16min

  History has been written by whoever controls the dominant fuel of the era — until now, says renewables entrepreneur Matt Tilleard. He explains why, as the clean energy transition ramps up, we’re moving from a world where energy comes from burning fuels to one where it will come from using technology. Learn why this could change everything about global power dynamics — and why the future belongs not to those who control resources, but to those who build and share technology. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• How to pull the emergency brake on global warming | Mohamed A. Sultan 30.01.2026 15min

  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.
• Inside India's astonishing solar revolution | Kanika Chawla 23.01.2026 12min

  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.
• What Earth in 2125 could look like | Iseult Gillespie 16.01.2026 6min

  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.