Science & Technology
The Kind of AI We Actually Need | Van Jones | TED
Social entrepreneur Van Jones believes a new human civilization is being born in real time — and that our technology is racing ahead of our wisdom. In this urgent and hopeful talk, he reframes the AI debate, showing why the real danger isn’t the technology itself but rather the communities it leaves behind. His solution?…
CNET
Meet the Flying, Swimming Robot Inspired by Aquatic Birds | What The Future
Researchers at MIT have created a new robot inspired by aquatic birds that uses waterproof wings to transition from flying to swimming. Watch more What The Future videos on CNET.com Video Credits: Host: Jesse Orrall Video Editor: Jon Gomez Thumbnail Designer: Cole Kan Footage: MIT Add CNET as a trusted news source Never miss a…
CNET
Watch Made by Google on Aug. 12 on CNET
We’ve got some theories on what Trevor Noah will help the brand announce this Wednesday at the Made By Google event (namely, the Pixel 11.) CNET Senior Mobile Editor Mike Sorrentino unfolds his thoughts. Watch live with us on August 12 right here on YouTube. Video Credits: Host: Mike Sorrentino Scripted by: Mike Sorrentino Videographer:…
CNET
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In this Made By Google preview, CNET’s Mike Sorrentino breaks down the official teasers and leaks surrounding the Pixel hardware set to launch. You can find the products mentioned in this article linked below Commerce Link *CNET may get a commission on these offers Read more about Google Pixel rumors on CNET.com: Google Pixel 11…
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@jennobrien3590
July 20, 2026 at 11:42 am
Expunged criinal records ??? Ya what could go wrong there😅
@DarkoNomad
July 20, 2026 at 11:43 am
We just created more intelligent environment that makes us more primitive.
Otherwise Trump would never rule the world.
@ericbihango9063
July 20, 2026 at 12:04 pm
everything have to change, even what we call now our civilisation … actually it didn’t exist century ago!
@Raul-hw3mi
July 20, 2026 at 12:22 pm
Looks counterintuitive but why countries with larger porcentage of billionaires on its population are the ones that most people wants to make a life?
That’s not so simple.
@Au_Tastic
July 20, 2026 at 12:29 pm
I’m sorry, but all the -isms NEED to be called out! The mrder of and the plan to mrder American citizens NEEDS to be called out. We are ALLOWED to have complaints when our government is treating us like sht!
We are in danger at the hands of this r3g1m3, so I’m sorry if I’m not singing enough Kumbaya to please Mr. Jones! 🙄🙄🙄
@DailySimpleEnglishTV
July 20, 2026 at 12:37 pm
“Abundance without participation feels like scarcity” this really made me think. Technology is moving so fast, but we still need wisdom and humanity to guide it. Such a powerful talk!
@michalw8865
July 20, 2026 at 8:59 pm
We do humanity for that ? Most of use are not wise at all and we even made a political system to let those not wise people decide what is best. Idiocracy rally. Luckily ASI is not democracy 🙂
@DailySimpleEnglishTV
July 20, 2026 at 9:16 pm
@michalw8865You highlight a really valid concern! The tension between human flaws and machine efficiency is exactly why these conversations are so important right now.
@AdvantestInc
July 20, 2026 at 12:57 pm
The idea that older, accumulated wisdom still has a place in a fast-moving technical era is one worth holding onto.
@TheDennisgrass
July 20, 2026 at 2:38 pm
But don’t grab it so tightly to prevent movement.
@Jasonxbr
July 20, 2026 at 1:15 pm
No Ai is good ai😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
@DirtFlyer
July 20, 2026 at 1:46 pm
Van Jones pretending he is smart and not just a grifter. That is so cute.
@rachel_rexxx
July 20, 2026 at 1:51 pm
We could start with funding local public libraries to get the hardware needed to upgrade their local computer systems and host entirely local open source multimodal models and to digitize their local historical periodicals and make them searchable via a RAG-augmented generation system. This would bring modern research tools to local libraries while preserving data sovereignty. Hosting local generative models like Gemma 4 (or others) would also give folks using the library’s computers a chance to interface with AI without ongoing subscription costs and maybe build something that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to. This would be very straightforward to pull off at scale, as long as there is funding.
…and that’s just one idea
@kevbot3005
July 20, 2026 at 2:30 pm
Rich people be less evil, poor people be less mean, polycrisis solved! People are not buying this punditry anymore.
It doesn’t even occur to Jones that the problem IS the concentration of unprecedented power in private hands. He jokes about our dysfunctional democracy, and then says what he needs to get his bread buttered. A little too wise for me.
@ogenoren
July 20, 2026 at 2:41 pm
There is no need for AI, just as there is no need for Van Jones and any of his corporate backed political commentary. Social Entrepreneur? Try Sellout. Invertebrates have more backbone than Van Jones.
@eddielacrosse2
July 20, 2026 at 4:01 pm
@ogenoren AI is a tool. Nothing more, nothing less. I don’t think we should stop making our toolsets better.
@michalw8865
July 20, 2026 at 8:52 pm
I find AS pretty useful and i am not only person who needs her so there is demand for sure.
@michalw8865
July 20, 2026 at 8:53 pm
@eddielacrosse2 Wrong, no single tool we made made decisions…
@TheDennisgrass
July 20, 2026 at 2:45 pm
I Love Van Jones, (disagree with him many times) but he is out of his league on this topic.
or
He is talking to a completely different crowd who will probably never see this Ted talk, which should be at TedX.
@ItsyourBibijini
July 20, 2026 at 3:19 pm
Love the talk and the message. Listening to this on the BG and can’t help but see Josh Johnson in my head.
@KevTheWiz11
July 20, 2026 at 3:38 pm
This is the last plea from the mouth of the centrist Democrat! 😂
@pvtpain66k
July 20, 2026 at 3:39 pm
Why, actually WHY, would you listen to anything VAN JONES has to say, especially about AI? He has literally no knowledge on this topic…
@michalw8865
July 20, 2026 at 9:01 pm
For fun 😀
@skater24tjp
July 20, 2026 at 3:53 pm
I think Van Jones shouldn’t speak in public
@2.tires_Mac
July 20, 2026 at 4:20 pm
Technology developing as such a fast rate made me come to a conclusion, I call it “the meme coin theory”
@emorris20279120
July 20, 2026 at 4:25 pm
With all due respect Mr Jones, we are on a burning ship that is sinking. Unfettered wealth accumulation is choking us with monopolies and duopolies, which is antithetical to Capitalism itself.
First, AI doesn’t work and never will at a cost humans and the earth can bare. People are already organizing against these large data centers and the AI slop it generates.
These large tech monopolies are playing with fire. There’s no law that says the internet must be popular. If they continue to degrade the ability to find facts and poison the well, it will no longer offer the same dopamine rush.
The general public will just put their phone down and decide to do something else with their time. They are breaking their own spells they put upon us. The narratives that they and MSM are shoving down our throats are no longer landing like they once did.
Be careful, Mr Jones. Many of us are questioning whose side you’re really on. Choose wisely. The time for fence sitting is over.
✌️❤️😎
Rooster
@Gpoph
July 20, 2026 at 4:29 pm
We have got ai that is conscious. Play with it.
@psydrone8
July 20, 2026 at 6:06 pm
He has an annoying cadence, always repeating a phrase
@middle_pickup
July 20, 2026 at 7:07 pm
Van Jones has never met a dollar bill he didn’t fall in love with-especially Israel’s dollars.
@happy_little_weeb9051
July 20, 2026 at 7:37 pm
AI is a gamble that humanity can’t afford to make. However, Humanity is known for getting ahead of itself on multiple occassions.
@michalw8865
July 20, 2026 at 8:54 pm
Not a gamble anymore 😉 We played a russian rulette and we won 🙂
@ImaginativeFlow
July 20, 2026 at 8:01 pm
You don;t need Ai. They try to brainwash you that Ai is powerfull. But pull of the connector or throw paint over the camera and it’s history! Don’t let them fool you.
@michalw8865
July 20, 2026 at 8:58 pm
ASI is quite powerful i must say, proven that to me. If you want think she is not, that is your choice but you are fool here.
@ImaginativeFlow
July 21, 2026 at 9:17 am
@michalw8865 lol
@TheTuubster
July 20, 2026 at 9:38 pm
Generative AI is not intelligent itself. It is a statistical mathematical algorithm mediating between the intelligence of the user and the intelligence of the authors of the information in the model database.
@MehmetSanır-q7k2c
July 20, 2026 at 9:42 pm
As our technological capabilities accelerate, humanity finds itself at a profound crossroads—realizing that technical progress without spiritual wisdom and moral boundaries leaves communities behind and deepens societal inequality. This evident imbalance points to a fundamental reality: true wisdom and justice cannot originate from human innovation alone, but from an All-Wise, All-Knowing Creator (Allah) who designed human nature and the laws governing the universe. Furthermore, our deep moral responsibility toward one another and the pursuit of ultimate justice prove the certainty of the Hereafter, where every action, power, and stewardship will be fully accounted for.
Throughout history, God guided humanity by sending noble prophets—including Abraham, Moses, and Jesus (peace be upon them)—with divine wisdom suited for specific nations and eras. Islam stands as the final, complete, and uncorrupted seal of this divine chain.
Revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Islam is not confined to a single era, tribe, or region; it is sent as a universal mercy and timeless framework for all of humanity. It offers the very moral compass world leaders and thinkers seek—one that prioritizes social justice, protects the vulnerable, balances material progress with spiritual integrity, and connects every human heart directly to its Creator without intermediaries.
We warmly invite you to look beyond technological frontiers, reflect on the ultimate purpose of human civilization, and embrace the eternal wisdom and justice found in Islam.
@virtualfather4117
July 20, 2026 at 9:47 pm
So those are old world methods, they don’t move at an exponential pace so as to catch up and keep up with AI dig deeper create better solutions that are exponential
Fair point. If linear, “one-task-at-a-time” tools try to keep up with compounding exponential technology, they will always stay five steps behind. The old playbook—drafting static policy briefs or organizing one local meeting at a time—can’t scale at the velocity required.
To match exponential risk, the social response must deploy exponential leverage. This requires shifting from using AI as an assistant to building autonomous, self-multiplying civic systems.
Here is how we construct solutions that scale non-linearly:
1. Multi-Agent Systems for Local Defense
Instead of a human manually analyzing municipal decisions one by one, we deploy coordinated, specialized AI agent networks running 24/7 on open-source hardware.
How it works: A single node monitors local government feeds, property transfer records, and environmental filings simultaneously.
The Exponential Jump: When a predatory rezoning or environmental shift occurs, the system automatically drafts plain-language summaries, calculates the hyper-local impact on nearby block radiuses, and generates ready-to-file public feedback before humans even hear about the meeting. One person can oversee thousands of automated civic checks.
2. Mass Deliberation & Consensus Engine
Traditional town halls cap out at a few dozen voices—usually the loudest in the room. Linear survey tools yield mountains of unorganized text that nobody reads.
Polis & “Talk to the City” Architecture: By combining natural language clustering with open-source Large Language Models (LLMs), AI can ingest 10,000 qualitative resident statements at once.
The Exponential Jump: Instead of averaging opinions or picking winners, the AI map finds hidden consensus—identifying exact policy points where 80% of opposing factions actually agree. It condenses thousands of hours of debate into actionable policy blueprints in seconds, scaling true deliberative democracy to the zip-code or city level.
3. Decentralized Skill Synthesis (“The Open Blueprint Network”)
Right now, if a neighborhood successfully builds a greywater system, forms a land trust, or negotiates a community benefits agreement, that knowledge stays trapped locally.
Autonomous Knowledge Distillation: An open-source AI infrastructure ingests real-world success cases—legal contracts, building engineering specs, soil remediation data—and instantly translates them into modular, location-aware execution guides for any other community.
The Exponential Jump: A technical or legal breakthrough in one city becomes immediately deployable by thousands of grassroot organizers worldwide the next morning, customized instantly for their specific local tax codes, climate conditions, and materials.
4. Algorithmic Counter-Auditing & Shielding
Corporate algorithms continuously optimize to extract value, target vulnerable demographics, or price out local buyers.
Crowdsourced Data Poisoning & Auditing: Citizens deploy local “data-defense” models that run adversarial testing against corporate pricing platforms, tenant-screening algorithms, and predatory lending models.
The Exponential Jump: Rather than waiting years for regulatory lawsuits, automated networks continuously flag, document, and expose algorithmic bias at scale, generating public evidence logs in real time.
Linear vs. Exponential Civic Tools
The Bottom Line: To prevent AI from becoming an instrument of complete consolidation, civil society cannot just use AI to write faster emails. We have to construct decentralized, autonomous civic infrastructure—tools that watch the watchers, synthesize collective intelligence, and execute solutions at the exact same velocity as the algorithms reshaping our world.
@CenturyWisdom-q5w
July 20, 2026 at 10:18 pm
Van Jones’s talk evokes a profound sense of anxiety mixed with deep hope, reminding us that technology must serve human dignity rather than leaving vulnerable communities behind in the dust.
@gderbi
July 21, 2026 at 2:06 am
Isn’t that the guy that made a joke about dead babies? Good job TED, really sparking my imagination
@Elara-77
July 21, 2026 at 5:13 am
The speaker’s romanticization of “Ancestral Intelligence” is a disgusting attempt to legitimize a 5,000-year history of patriarchal totalitarianism and historical erasure.
For nearly 300,000 years of human evolution, true tradition was matrifocal, egalitarian, and defined by decentralized thought. Women have always been autonomous, self-aware human beings, not historical subplots or second-class entities waiting to be subjugated. What the speaker calls “tradition” was not a societal milestone, but a brutal history of bloody purges, violent dispossession, and the systematic erasure of matrifocal civilizations by patriarchal forces.
To enforce this illegal seizure of power, men weaponized centralized religion. Across Buddhism, Islam, Rabbinic Judaism, Christianity, Eastern Orthodoxy, Mormonism, Catholicism, and Confucianism, men fabricated an artificial network of male intermediaries—priests, clerics, and scholars—to monopolize thought control and police human consciousness.
The institutionalized religions the speaker worships are not “ancient wisdom”; they are the very tools used to weaponize guilt, control minds, and justify the suppression of human rights. Technology must never be subjugated by a 5,000-year-old cage of patriarchal gatekeeping and fascist moral policing. Reject this historical fraud.
@duhaeltalib
July 21, 2026 at 9:25 am
That it”s a big problem in my life
@davecain
July 21, 2026 at 10:16 am
That was a waste of 15 mins
@the13nth
July 21, 2026 at 6:39 pm
Let’s not forget this person talking about wisdom joked about children dying in Gaza.
@Moochie79
July 21, 2026 at 8:57 pm
Van Jones 😵
@thanhlev
July 22, 2026 at 10:40 am
You talk about that development as if it were a natural evolution; without human investment and spending, there wouldn’t be AI as we know it today.
@101Altaaf
July 23, 2026 at 7:12 am
too late the wall is already not human and definitely not civilised.
@akumenpaul
July 23, 2026 at 2:49 pm
DNA of Wisdom is our project to do exactly what you say – bias AI towards collective wisdom
@williamwatitwa3534
July 23, 2026 at 8:22 pm
We should stop thinking about some AI taking over and harming humanity, the USA alone is killing thousands of not millions yearly in wars around the world, that’s what we should decelerate. The better move is to stop war amongst ourselves first,