Digest for 1/3/2026

Tom Gruber shares his vision of a future where AI helps each person achieve their full potential — and still leaves us in control of our lives.

What will a future with intuitive AI look like? Futurist Maurice Conti offers a look at technology that augments human creativity and intelligence, from generative design to augmented reality.

AI is massively transforming our world, but what should we do about the jobs it displaces? AI investor Kai-Fu Lee shares a blueprint for rethinking work in the age of intelligent machines.

Ron Finley plants vegetable gardens in South Central LA — in abandoned lots, traffic medians, along the curbs — to offer a healthy, accessible, and affordable alternative to fast food.

Majora Carter redefined the field of environmental equality, starting in the South Bronx by pulling her community out of decline with green initiatives and rethinking sustainable urban development.

Green-minded architect and designer William McDonough asks what our buildings and products would look like if designers took into account all children, all species, for all time.

Leaving a high-flying job in consulting, Angela Lee Duckworth took a job teaching math to seventh graders in a New York public school. She quickly realized that IQ wasn't the only thing separating the successful students from those who struggled. Here, she explains her theory of 'grit' as a predictor of success.

Writer Andrew Solomon has spent his career telling stories of the hardships of others. Now he turns inward, bringing us into a childhood of adversity, while also spinning tales of the courageous people he's met in the years since. In a moving, heartfelt and at times downright funny talk, Solomon gives a powerful call to action to forge meaning from our biggest struggles.

Brené Brown delves into human connection, empathy, and love, sharing insights from her research on vulnerability as a path to living wholeheartedly and building resilience.