Digest for 12/31/2025

Journalist Carole Cadwalladr investigates how data analytics and targeted ads on Facebook influenced the Brexit vote and the 2016 US election, highlighting the dangers of AI-driven misinformation in democratic processes.

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.

A handful of people working at a handful of tech companies steer the thoughts of billions of people every day, from running elections to what we see and think. Tristan Harris argues that technology is hijacking our attention and what we can do about it.

Political scientist Ian Bremmer argues that the world is entering a new era of technopolarism, where technology companies hold unprecedented power, reshaping global geopolitics.

International relations expert Joseph Nye discusses the diffusion of power in the 21st century and how soft power influences global politics.

Global strategist Parag Khanna explores how connectivity and urbanization are reshaping geopolitics in a multipolar world.

What would you do if your job was to save the planet? When Christiana Figueres was tapped by the UN to lead the Paris climate conference (COP 21) in December 2015, she reacted the way many people would: she thought it would be impossible to bring the leaders of 195 countries into agreement on how to slow climate change. Find out how she turned 'impossible' into 'possible' -- and how you can, too.

In this brand-new slideshow (premiering on TED.com), Al Gore presents evidence that the pace of climate change may be even worse than scientists recently predicted. He challenges us to act.

Planetary scientist Johan Rockström shares a new way of thinking about the human impact on the climate and why swift action is needed to avoid environmental catastrophe.