The TED AI Show

Today, we are sharing a special episode from the chart-topping tech podcast web3 with a16z crypto. Produced by venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, the podcast explores the technology, people, and business ideas driving the next era of internet innovation. This episode – part of a series covering leading “Trends for 2025” – covers the intersection of crypto and AI. Topics range from why having a unique ID matters in a world of deepfakes to AI agents in games to truly autonomous chatbots. You’ll also get to hear from a16z crypto team members, including chief technology officer Eddy Lazzarin, on what they are personally excited about for 2025 given their unique view of the industry. To listen to more episodes of web3 with a16z crypto, such as part one of the series “Trends for 2025,” follow the show here: https://link.mgln.ai/2YNuuu. Or can also subscribe to the a16z crypto newsletter for more trend updates, builder guides, industry reports, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whether you’re trying to find your way around a new city or just looking for a place to eat, it’s become second nature to many people to turn to Google Maps to get us from point A to point B. On the last episode of this season of The TED AI Show, we’re chatting with Keyhole (now known as Google Earth) founder and current Niantic SVP of Engineering Brian McClendon. Brian and Bilawal discuss how even the most detailed digital maps have blind spots, how Pokemon Go could be an unlikely partner to fill in the blanks – and how augmented reality is making the future of navigation immersive. In the second half of the show, Bilawal recaps some of the big learnings from the first season of this show, and teases a big update about season 2. For transcripts for The TED AI Show, visit go.ted.com/TTAIS-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Human brains are often described as computers — machines that are “wired” to make decisions and respond to external stimuli in a way that’s not so different from the artificial intelligence that we increasingly use each day. But the difference between our brains and the computers that drive AI is consciousness – our inner world, defined by experience and awareness. Anil Seth is a professor of cognitive and computational neuroscience at the University of Oxford. He studies human consciousness and he’s concerned about the way we’ve come to think about AI as conscious minds rather than useful tools. Anil and Bilawal sit down to discuss the differences between intelligence and consciousness, the possibility of AI becoming self-aware, and the dangers of assigning human-like traits to our AI assistants. For transcripts for The TED AI Show, visit go.ted.com/TTAIS-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s impossible to separate the way people engage with AI with the way they engage with the internet as a whole. This is an episode of ReThinking, another podcast from the TED Audio Collective, featuring a compelling discussion of why the internet can feel so unfriendly–and where we can go from there. You’ll hear from Jay Van Bavel, an award-winning professor of psychology and neural science at NYU, on the science of virality, why bad news commands our attention, and how we can find common ground around more uplifting content. If you liked this episode, you can find more ReThinking wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When it comes to preparing for an interview or making an important life decision, more and more people are turning to AI for advice. ChatGPT’s new voice interface, Advanced Voice Mode, allows users to speak out loud and converse with a chatbot as they would with another human — but is it really as seamless as a chat with a friend? Bilawal runs a series of experiments with Advanced Voice Mode to test the limits of this new technology and its potential uses, from weighing the pros and cons of a cross-country move to coaching an intense personal workout. He and producer Dominic Girard discuss the potential benefits and dangers of this new advancement, and ask perhaps the most important question of all: can ChatGPT pronounce Bilawal’s name? For transcripts for The TED AI Show, visit go.ted.com/TTAIS-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many people associate innovation with secrecy—privately toiling away on a project until you're ready to share it with the world. While that may work for some, there's a benefit to putting all your cards on the table. Bilawal sits down for a conversation with Thomas Wolf, whose company Hugging Face pivoted from privately building an AI chatbot to sharing all of its knowledge with a growing online community. Thomas discusses the history of Hugging Face, why embracing open source development has shifted the trajectory of AI, and how open source can challenge existing power structures in the AI world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Llama is Meta’s Large Language Model trained on over 15 trillion tokens of publicly available information. It’s available to anyone – from people making custom fan-made entertainment on a smartphone… to, potentially, complex projects that may not have the public’s well-being in mind. So if Llama is such a widely available and powerful product, why is Meta releasing it – for free? Bilawal chats with Meta’s own Vice President of Product, Ragavan Srinivasan, to discuss the pressing questions around Llama’s benefits and risks.For transcripts for The TED AI Show, visit go.ted.com/TTAIS-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you've ever cringed at a poorly-dubbed film, you are not alone. That's why Scott Mann founded Flawless, a company that’s transforming the world of dubbing using AI. He talks with Bilawal about why good dubbing is essential for movie making and shares the mind-blowing technology that not only lets Robert DeNiro speak perfect Spanish, but radically changes how films might get made. The two also discuss what to keep in mind as creativity, industry, and AI technology continue to intertwine — and what we need to protect artists' rights.For transcripts for The TED AI Show, visit go.ted.com/TTAIS-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AI is shaping every aspect of our lives — but only a handful of tech giants are having a say in what this technology can do. So what’s going on with world governments? Bilawal sits down with geopolitical expert Ian Bremmer to unpack the UN’s just-released plan for “Governing AI for Humanity,” a report that focuses on the urgent need to guide AI towards helping everyone – rather than the powerful few – thrive. Together, they explore the complexities of AI’s rapid growth on a worldwide scale and take a clear-eyed look at the pivotal decisions facing us in the very near future.For transcripts for The TED AI Show, visit go.ted.com/TTAIS-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Imagine a world where your thoughts are no longer private – where employers, friends, and even companies can see, hack, or exploit your thinking. According to ethicist Nita Farahany, that reality is closer than you think. Nita and Bilawal discuss the rapidly advancing field of neurotechnology and its potential to completely transform our everyday lives, from tools that could help you deeply understand your health to tech that could manipulate your dreams. Nita also shares why we need to protect our "cognitive liberty" and how to exercise our rights to think freely in an age of mind-reading technology.For transcripts for The TED AI Show, visit go.ted.com/TTAIS-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cheating has never been easier with the rise of AI like ChatGPT. It's definitely something to worry about, but what do we know about the upsides of AI in education? Khan Academy founder Sal Khan says education won't destroy our kids' brains, but we have to integrate AI the right way. After launching a new chatbot, Khanmigo, Sal has found that AI opens up opportunities for students to learn in ways they couldn't before, leaving room for more creativity, deeper thinking and gained perspective. Sam and Bilawal discuss why AI seeping into the classroom is inevitable — and how to use it to our advantage.For transcripts for The TED AI Show, visit go.ted.com/TTAIS-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kevin Roose is a tech journalist who writes about the intersection of tech, business, and culture. In today’s episode from How to Be a Better Human, another podcast in the TED Audio Collective, he talks about the shift of technology’s role in our lives and how we can set up boundaries with our devices to regain our autonomy. He also shares why he’s optimistic about the future, and his view on how futureproofing your job in an automated world has less to do with sharpening up our coding skills and more to do with leaning into our shared humanity. Find more How to Be a Better Human wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You may know will.i.am as the 7-time Grammy-award winning singer, songwriter, producer, and frontman of The Black Eyed Peas. But his interests beyond music have also taken him down a surprising and creative path – from serving as the director of creative innovation at Intel, to becoming the first artist to stream a song from the surface of Mars, to hosting the first radio show with an AI co-host. In this episode of ReThinking with Adam Grant, organizational psychologist Adam Grant asks about will.i.am about his creative process and digs into how he turns his expansive ideas into reality. will.i.am also shares his hopes and fears about the future of technology and entertainment, and the two debate what AI can and can’t do for human creativity. Transcripts for ReThinking are available at go.ted.com/RWAGscripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.