Popular TED Talks on AI for 2024

Artificial intelligence is a hot topic, and TED has hosted some brilliant talks from people in the world of AI. In this article, we have compiled a list of the best TED Talks on AI, providing you with the information you seek on AI developments, innovation, and the future of AI.

AI That Connects the Digital and Physical Worlds I Anima Anandkumar I TED

Speaker: Anima Anandkumar

Animashree (Anima) Anandkumar is the Bren Professor of Computing at the California Institute of Technology. Previously, she was a senior director of Machine Learning Research at NVIDIA and a principal scientist at Amazon Web Services. Her research considers tensor-algebraic methods, deep learning, and non-convex problems.

Keynotes

In this session, Anima Anandkumar illustrates how her research in AI fascinated her to connect the physical and digital worlds together. She explains how she is working on AI, where it transforms the way we do science and engineering. Her work represents a significant step towards AI systems that can truly understand and interact with the physical world. Her research promises to open new frontiers in scientific discovery and engineering design, potentially revolutionizing fields from aerospace to medicine.

What Is an AI Anyway? | Mustafa Suleyman | TED

Speaker: Mustafa Suleyman

Mustafa Suleyman is the CEO of Microsoft AI, and the co-founder and former head of applied AI at DeepMind, an AI company acquired by Google. He brings years of experience as an entrepreneur, technologist, and leader in artificial intelligence.

Keynotes

In this session, Mustafa Suleyman discusses the future of AI and how it is evolving into a new digital species. Suleyman believes that AI should be seen as companions and partners in our lives, with the ability to communicate, reason, and act autonomously. He further highlights the immense opportunities AI presents for solving global challenges in healthcare, education, and climate crisis.

The Last 6 Decades of AI — and What Comes Next | Ray Kurzweil | TED

Speaker: Ray Kurzweil

Raymond Kurzweil is an American computer scientist, author, entrepreneur, futurist, and inventor. Known as the “the restless genius” by The Wall Street Journal and “the ultimate thinking machine” by Forbes magazine, he was selected as one of the top entrepreneurs by Inc. magazine. With a track record of accurate predictions, he shares his optimistic outlook on life extension technologies and the future of nanotechnology, robotics, and biotechnology.

Keynotes

In this session, Ray Kurzweil gives a compelling vision for the future, built upon the rapid AI advancements taking place in the present. He highlights AI’s transformative impact on various fields and predicts a future where humankind will unite with super intelligent technology which he has termed as ‘Singularity is near’.

How AI Is Unlocking the Secrets of Nature and the Universe | Demis Hassabis | TED

Speaker: Demis Hassabis

Demis is the co-founder and CEO of Google DeepMind, a pioneering AI company acquired by Google in 2014.  He was previously a member of an industry body created to advise the government on the promotion of AI technology.

Keynotes

Hassabis emphasizes the transformative potential of AI in accelerating scientific progress and enabling discoveries that would take human researchers billions of years.  He also discusses the potential risks and challenges of advanced AI systems and advocates for increased collaboration between industry, government, and academia to ensure the development of these powerful systems is guided by ethical principles.

Leadership in the Age of AI | Paul Hudson | TED

Speaker: Paul Hudson

Paul Hudson is CEO of Sanofi, a global healthcare company. His career in healthcare has spanned the globe, with roles in the US, Japan, and Europe. 

Keynotes

In a thought-provoking conversation, Lindsay Levin and Paul Hudson highlighted the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on the business landscape, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry.  The dialogue touched upon the importance of stronger leadership skills in navigating the complexities of AI integration, with the need to attract more younger talent – to drive change in the new business landscape. The duo also addressed the broader implications of AI adoption on the workforce, suggesting that AI’s role is not about job displacement but rather about creating more meaningful work and driving innovation.

With AI, Anyone Can Be a Coder Now | Thomas Dohmke | TED

Speaker: Thomas Dohmke

Thomas Dohmkeis the CEO at GitHub. Previously, Thomas was the Principal Director of PM at Microsoft, and the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at HockeyApp. Thomas Dohmke even served as a Chief Product Officer and a Vice President of Strategic Programs for Microsoft.

Keynotes

In this session, Thomas Dohmke discusses how recent advancements in AI have made coding accessible to anyone, regardless of language background. Dohmke believes that AI-assisted coding will unleash a new wave of creativity. It will enable anyone to build websites, applications, and games simply by speaking their ideas in their own language. This fusion of human and machine language represents a profound breakthrough in technology. He further highlighted that AI-assisted coding is expected to reshape the global economy and geography of software development.

Magic and Wonder in the Age of AI | David Kwong | TED

Speaker: David Kwong

Kwong is known for creating illusions and puzzles for film and television and for functioning as a producer and consultant in the field. He produced ‘Deception’, ABC’s action crime drama. Wong also frequently contributes to the New York Times crossword puzzle along with crossword puzzle editor Will Shortz.

Keynotes

Kwong highlighted that the evolution of technology has not diminished but rather heightened our capacity for wonder. He argues that the true meaning of wonder comes from questioning what is possible and experiencing things that seem impossible. Through interactive magic tricks using AI like ChatGPT, Kwong demonstrates how technology can be integrated into performances to create moments of wonder and mystery. He further encourages the audience to embrace AI as a uniquely human gift and move towards a world that is full of great marvels and magic.

Next Up for AI? Dancing Robots | Catie Cuan | TED

Speaker: Catie Cuan

An entrepreneur, engineer, and artist, Dr. Catie Cuan is a pioneer in the nascent field of ‘choreorobotics’ who works at the intersection of artificial intelligence, human-robot interaction, and art. She is currently a Postdoc in Computer Science at Stanford University. Catie holds a PhD and Master’s of Science in robotics and AI from Stanford. Catie is a prolific and award-winning robot choreographer, having created works with nearly a dozen different robots, from a massive ABB IRB 6700 industrial robot to a tabletop IDEO + Moooi robot.

Keynotes

Catie, a robot choreographer, claims that teaching robots to dance can make them more accepted in our daily lives. She believes that graceful, intentional movements can evoke positive emotions, leading to better interactions between humans and robots. Cuan discusses her project, ‘Starling’, which uses AI to teach robots – to improvise and react to human gestures, turning them into musical instruments. According to her, the goal is to create a safe and natural interaction between humans and robots. She envisions a future where robots are not just functional but also capable of creative expression, further enriching our lives in various ways.

In brief

Dive into this great list of TED Talks on artificial intelligence and explore the possibilities of super-intelligence that is improving our world and our everyday lives.