Digest for 4/1/2026

Taiwan's digital minister Audrey Tang shares how digital tools can enhance transparency, participation, and trust in democratic systems, especially during crises.

Pia Mancini argues that our democratic systems are outdated for the digital age and presents a platform that allows citizens to propose, debate, and vote on legislation directly.

Machine intelligence is here, and we're already using it to make subjective decisions. But the complex way AI grows and improves makes it hard to understand and even harder to control. In this cautionary talk, techno-sociologist Zeynep Tufekci explains how intelligent machines can fail in ways that don't fit human error patterns -- and in ways we won't expect or understand.

William Ury, author of "Getting to Yes," offers an elegant, simple (but not easy) way to create agreement in even the most difficult situations -- from family conflict to, perhaps, the Middle East.

Scilla Elworthy shares her experiences in peace-building and explains how non-violent methods can be more effective in resolving conflicts and geopolitical tensions.

In war we often see only the frontline stories of soldiers and combat. At TEDGlobal 2010, Zainab Salbi tells powerful "backline" stories of women who keep everyday life going during conflicts, and calls for women to have a place at the negotiating table once fighting is over.

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.

Climate action is picking up speed -- and it could accelerate even faster with an injection of stubborn optimism, says climate champion Christiana Figueres.