Digest for 12/29/2025

We're building an artificial intelligence-powered dystopia, one click at a time, says techno-sociologist Zeynep Tufekci. In an eye-opening talk, Tufekci explains how the same algorithms companies like Facebook, Google and Amazon use to get you to click on ads are also used to organize your access to political and social information.

AI humorist Janelle Shane explores the unexpected and often humorous failures of AI, highlighting ethical implications when these systems are integrated into everyday decision-making processes.

There's a lot of talk about the need to regulate AI, but physicist Max Tegmark says we need to think bigger: what if we could design AI to make our lives better in every way? Tegmark explores the exciting possibilities of life with superintelligent machines -- and how we can ensure that the benefits of AI are shared fairly.

A physicist explains the mind-bending world of quantum computing and how it could revolutionize problem-solving in fields like medicine and cryptography.

Leo Kouwenhoven discusses the challenges and potential of building practical quantum computers.

Michelle Simmons explores how quantum computing harnesses qubits to tackle intractable problems, potentially transforming industries like finance and logistics.

At age 14, in poverty and famine, a Malawian boy built a windmill to power his family's home. Now William Kamkwamba returns to the TED stage to share the remarkable developments since then.

Bill Gross, the founder of Idealab, talks about his life as an inventor, starting with his high school dream to make energy from the sun.

Researcher Kamal Meattle shows how an arrangement of three common houseplants, used in specific spots in a home or office building, can result in measurably cleaner indoor air.