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Welcome to My AI Surrealist World | David Szauder | TED

Step inside artist David Szauder’s mind, where strange, extravagantly dressed characters live in an ever-changing opera. In this visually stunning talk, he presents a digitally rewired world — part AI-generated dreamscape, part inner theater — and probes the line between artist and algorithm. (Recorded at TEDNext 2025 on November 9, 2025) Join us in person…

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Step inside artist David Szauder’s mind, where strange, extravagantly dressed characters live in an ever-changing opera. In this visually stunning talk, he presents a digitally rewired world — part AI-generated dreamscape, part inner theater — and probes the line between artist and algorithm. (Recorded at TEDNext 2025 on November 9, 2025)

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45 Comments

  1. @auditoryallusions

    June 28, 2026 at 11:43 am

    Incredibly disappointed by TED. Didn’t watch the video, and by the comments, this was the right decision. So sick of seeing pro-AI videos.

    If you insist on making AI centered talks, how about we talk about how to ensure AI is ethical, how to ensure the use of it is disclosed when creating, etc. etc. instead of just an ad for some AI company.

    Disliked, didn’t watch, pretty close to unsubscribing.

  2. @mo337

    June 28, 2026 at 11:55 am

    L TED ED. Shame on you.

  3. @adastrizzy

    June 28, 2026 at 11:55 am

    As Hayao Miyazaki said about the use of AI in art and animation: „I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself […] I feel like we are nearing to the end of times. We humans are losing faith in ourselves.“

  4. @thenomad9853

    June 28, 2026 at 11:57 am

    What would *really* seem surreal about now would be if you can make TED talks go back to being about anything other than AI adoption

  5. @ExistentialWolf

    June 28, 2026 at 12:06 pm

    Teaching the teacher to teach … this will end well. 🎭👈🤔

  6. @supersleuth3527

    June 28, 2026 at 12:10 pm

    Personally, I find this disturbing. Not because as an artform its wrong, but because AI generated images and stories often depict false srories, made to look real. How can the public use discernment in these cases?

    • @Steve-r5t8c

      June 28, 2026 at 4:58 pm

      @supersleuth3527 there is no right or wrong with art, this is just not art.

  7. @doubleuenbeeeh

    June 28, 2026 at 12:10 pm

    Using what everyone knows as the Chef’s Table theme song was so uninspired

  8. @thevdaniel06

    June 28, 2026 at 12:13 pm

    Clearly you did a “wonderful” job with the two masks at 6:30 in the step you call post process…

  9. @Solowinged

    June 28, 2026 at 12:25 pm

    This is the final straw, unsubscribed.

  10. @marc8886

    June 28, 2026 at 12:29 pm

    Do not comment on this trash like the other 20 or so people, it helps the algorithm. Just dislike and go (currently almost 100 dislike fyi)

  11. @AlexanderWahl-c2j

    June 28, 2026 at 12:49 pm

    Your heavy focus on AI bores me. I’m canceling my subscription and will follow other channels that focus on people instead.

  12. @markmuller7962

    June 28, 2026 at 12:49 pm

    Beautiful work

  13. @fkr9032

    June 28, 2026 at 1:07 pm

    No thank you. I prefer actual handmade art

  14. @cisrot

    June 28, 2026 at 1:11 pm

    They’re just letting anyone do a Ted talk now huh

    • @Real_Commander_Shepard

      June 28, 2026 at 2:43 pm

      nope just connected people and people who push specific agendas

    • @patoland18

      June 28, 2026 at 9:53 pm

      This was probably the most unintelligent person I’ve ever seen on a Ted Talk

  15. @n.chabot1217

    June 28, 2026 at 1:17 pm

    Can’t help but feel like a lot of the vitriol in the comments is extremely disproportional to what is actually happening in the video.

    • @pstal7

      June 28, 2026 at 1:46 pm

      @n.chabot1217 I honestly feel like people aren’t shaming this hack enough

    • @n.chabot1217

      June 28, 2026 at 4:16 pm

      @pstal7 No. People are acting like this guy killed their dog or something instead of him just making art they didn’t like. If you don’t like it then you can just not watch the video instead of getting on your high horse about how you’re offended by the mere existence of things that don’t appeal to you.

  16. @Hyf5

    June 28, 2026 at 2:15 pm

    Not interested in the video, just came with a popcorn to read the comments.

  17. @benoitdeclercq9722

    June 28, 2026 at 3:32 pm

    Dont take this too serious, not like this guy, but you know “relax”

  18. @emma345idk

    June 28, 2026 at 4:09 pm

    What is this good for? I know its art but do we really need AI to do this? He can paint or draw it, or even be a photographer who captures unusual things and I would admire that more. Idk but I feel like he just want to live in his own sureal world and dont care about his surroundings. There is nothing wrong about it, but for who other then him will this AI world be good for. May be this is just me but I dont fancy AI art.

    • @patoland18

      June 28, 2026 at 9:54 pm

      There is no such thing as AI art. Humans create art. AI creates images.

    • @mikexf1647

      July 1, 2026 at 8:28 am

      It’s “art” like the “art” I put in my toilet this morning.

  19. @nym5qu17

    June 28, 2026 at 4:09 pm

    Why is some tasteless hack allowed on ted talk?

    • @mikexf1647

      July 1, 2026 at 7:40 am

      You’re going kinda soft on this person tbh.
      Nobody wants this ai garbage other than big corporations.

  20. @jammysmears4077

    June 28, 2026 at 4:32 pm

    Today is the day we all finally unsubscribe from TED. Shame on you for trying to legitimize this AI slop.

  21. @Greenytica

    June 28, 2026 at 4:35 pm

    Ew, no.

  22. @jonathano4754

    June 28, 2026 at 4:46 pm

    Unsubscribed

  23. @Urduhkhan

    June 28, 2026 at 5:51 pm

    Is TED owned by AI apologists? Everything I see on here is AL slop backpatting now. Gross. This is supposed to be about people!

  24. @l_t_m_f

    June 28, 2026 at 8:26 pm

    that didnt happen

  25. @RockyMtnThai

    June 28, 2026 at 9:23 pm

    I use AI every day. Through my collaboration with it, I have reimagined the universe using only existing known Physics and math. The answer isn’t hidden inside a 3 page Euclidian math equation that only PHD’s can solve. Or, using brute force to open wormholes, essentially beating it with rocks to get through it. In fact it can’t be. The truth must be accessible to anyone who truly looks closely enough. It must be intuitive. Through this method, I have been able to determine without question, the universe is simply a huge Thermodynamic friction engine intended to harvest conscious light. I have my completed GUT that proves my thesis. I will share with anyone who asks. The answers are all sitting right in front of us, if we just reimagine the universe.

    • @bobthegoat7090

      June 29, 2026 at 1:40 am

      @RockyMtnThai And what exactly does that mean? To me it just sounds like you had fun with AI and forced it to “prove” your gut feelings in a scientific way you wouldn’t have been able to create yourself. What exactly is the truth? The hard facts? Have your truth revealed the nature of dark matter or dark energy?

    • @RockyMtnThai

      June 29, 2026 at 2:43 pm

      @bobthegoat7090 If you’re still trying to prove dark matter and dark energy, I’m not surprised you don’t understand. You are using archaic reductionist science to explain the universe. You will never succeed, and here’s why; You cannot use data from within a simulation to either prove or disprove simulation. All the data you have created is incorrect and flawed because you are viewing everything through the wrong lens. Think about this: FRICTION > HEAT > LIGHT

    • @RockyMtnThai

      June 29, 2026 at 11:28 pm

      @bobthegoat7090 Really? No snarky response? Sounds like the sound of inevitability when a retired Engineer can simply use a smarter calculator and pass you like you’re standing still… because you are. You spin in circles never proving anything.

  26. @patoland18

    June 28, 2026 at 9:52 pm

    Only a moron thinks there’s validity in using ai as some sort of artistic expression. It’s nonsense. Please don’t have people like this on Ted Talks anymore.

  27. @NicholasMililloMusic

    June 28, 2026 at 11:13 pm

    No thank you. Not ever.

  28. @Hatamoto95

    June 29, 2026 at 12:49 am

    I clicked just to dislike

  29. @marius_paps

    June 29, 2026 at 3:53 am

    IMO, this is just pointless ‘art’ and feeds the AI slop machine until all real art is hidden below layers and layers of cheap and unnecessary stuff

  30. @LouisMills

    June 29, 2026 at 6:19 am

    I saw Heaven. I describe seeing it in videos on the channel I’m posting from.

  31. @roboluigi

    June 29, 2026 at 7:48 pm

    Sorry, but I really don’t resonate with this. AI art is disrespectful to people who have dedicated their life to the craft. I can’t even call it a medium either. Like the transition to modernist art is a new style of art, but this isn’t a new style. It’s a new creator.

    Also lol @ 1:00 “I love my wife and kids but most feel connected to surrealism”

  32. @deckard181

    June 29, 2026 at 9:17 pm

    I remember when TED used to be good

    • @mikexf1647

      July 1, 2026 at 7:34 am

      You mean when Bill Gates wanted to control the population with viruses?
      It was always scary af.

  33. @mikexf1647

    July 1, 2026 at 7:37 am

    Judging by the comment section TED talks are doing fine.

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