TED Blog

Bold ideas, big stakes: Day 2 of TED2026

2026-04-15T23:23:05Z

Maya Higa speaks at TED2026: All of Us on April 14, 2026, in Vancouver, BC. (Photo: Jasmina Tomic / TED)

What does the future actually look like — and who gets to build it? Day 2 of TED2026 didn’t shy away from the big questions. From the promise and peril of AI to the potential of solar-powered, offline educational tools, these sessions brought together the thinkers, builders and dreamers working at the edges of what’s possible. Think of this as your backstage pass to a day that left very little unexplored.

Day 2 included talks curated by Taiwan’s cyber ambassador Audrey Tang, social technologist Divya Siddarth, solutions journalist Angus Hervey and TED Vision Steward Sal Khan.

Sam Wickert and Bilawal Sidhu speak at TED2026: All of Us on April 14, 2026, in Vancouver, BC. (Photo: Jasmina Tomic / TED)

The future isn’t human vs. machine — it’s human and machine. Ethereum cofounder Vitalik Buterin built his life’s work around blockchain, creating a system designed for cooperation, not dominance. Ethereum proved that decentralized systems don’t need a single authority to thrive. Now he’s asking: What if AI worked the same way, amplifying human judgment rather than replacing it? Visual effects pioneer Sam Wickert puts that idea to the test, showcasing a live AI demo with technologist Bilawal Sidhu that gives creative control back to the filmmaker. Instead of surrendering to a text prompt, the director calls the shots — using AI like a game controller, with every pixel and angle at their fingertips. Great art has always been made by human hands, and those hands just got a remarkable new instrument.

Gina Raimondo speaks at TED2026: All of Us on April 14, 2026, in Vancouver, BC. (Photo: Jasmina Tomic / TED)

We’re drowning in data, yet starving for action. Planet Labs cofounder Robbie Schingler knows this firsthand. His satellites captured the Russian military buildup along the Ukrainian border days before the invasion — and yet the war still happened. The problem was never a lack of information; it was a lack of systems built to act on it. Former Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo sees this same asymmetry in America’s workforce: 50 million workers could lose their jobs to AI, and yet no coordinated response exists. We have never known more about the world and yet, somehow, that still isn’t enough. Fortunately, she has a concrete plan to prepare workers for what’s coming next. “AI is a 100-year technology and needs a 100-year response,” she says.

Host Audrey Tang speaks with Keith Coleman and Jay Baxter at TED2026: All of Us on April 14, 2026, in Vancouver, BC. (Photo: Jason Redmond / TED)

The power is with the people. The minds behind X’s Community Notes, Jay Baxter and Keith Coleman, dared to ask the question: What if the people got to decide what’s true? Community Notes was their answer: if people don’t trust tech companies to draw the line, let them draw it themselves. That same belief drives conservationist Maya Higa, who created an animal sanctuary that no one can visit, but everyone can participate in digitally, turning anyone with a wifi connection into a conservationist from their own home. And philosopher Carissa Véliz warns that the greatest threat to our collective agency is the power of prediction — algorithms issuing verdicts about who we are before we’ve had a chance to prove otherwise. But predictions only gain their power when people believe them, she says. So don’t. Resist, participate and remind the algorithms who’s really in charge.

Amy Bowers Cordalis speaks at TED2026: All of Us on April 14, 2026, in Vancouver, BC. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

Nature has always known how to heal itself. Indigenous advocate and attorney Amy Cordalis Bowers shares how the Yurok people fought back against generations of colonization and extraction to achieve the largest dam removal in US history. The Klamath River’s remarkable recovery reveals what’s possible when we follow nature’s oldest instructions. Author, educator and activist Bill McKibben picks up that thread with an unlikely source of optimism: the solar revolution isn’t coming — it’s already here. After 400,000 years of burning things for energy, the only thing standing between us and a clean, abundant future is the political will of those still protecting fossil fuel profits.

Rapelang Rabana speaks at TED2026: All of Us on April 14, 2026, in Vancouver, BC. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

Some of the world’s most solvable problems aren’t being talked about enough. Across Sub-Saharan Africa, millions of children show up to school eager to learn — and leave without ever learning to read. Audacious Project grantee and entrepreneur Rapelang Rabana makes a case for scrapping the Western playbook and introducing a surprising fix: solar-charged, offline tablets that adapt in real time to each child’s level and pace, in their own language. Fellow Audacious Project grantee Drew McCartor points to an even quieter crisis: every day, lead poisoning accounts for an estimated two million IQ points permanently lost in children, one of the most overlooked catastrophes of our time. With a proven three-step model to measure, identify and remove lead, his nonprofit Pure Earth is scaling across more than 20 countries to protect half a billion children.

Host Angus Hervey sits down with former Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu at TED2026: All of Us on April 14, 2026, in Vancouver, BC. (Photo: Jasmina Tomic / TED)

The key to freedom is telling your story. Former Kosovan president Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu says that in a world where democracy is losing ground to populism and cynicism, the most powerful thing a small nation can do is refuse to stay silent. In conversation with solutions journalist Angus Hervey, she explains that it’s not military or economic might that defines a country’s strength but rather the courage to use its own voice. Venezuelan opposition leader and freedom fighter Leopoldo López takes that argument into the digital age, showing how open-source technology (like decentralized communication, Bitcoin and AI) is becoming the new frontier of that same fight. His warning: “Whenever there is a gatekeeper, there is conditional freedom. And conditional freedom is not freedom.”

Jonathan Haidt speaks at TED2026: All of Us on April 14, in Vancouver, BC. (Photo: Jason Redmond / TED)

It’s time to put the genie back into the bottle. We’re ultrasocial creatures: we need community, connection and common goals in order to thrive. Unfortunately, says author Jonathan Haidt, technology is hollowing out the very conditions that make this thriving possible. He gives a damning account of how social media, ed-tech and AI block us from flourishing — and why our children are paying the steepest price. The good news is that people are finally standing up to change things: phones are coming out of schools, social media age limits are rising and companies are being held liable for harms they knowingly caused. The task now, he says, is to apply that same hard-won skepticism to AI before it goes further down the same road — not by rejecting technology, but by demanding proof that it’s safe before we hand it to our kids.

D. Scott Phoenix speaks at TED2026: All of Us on April 14, 2026, in Vancouver, BC. (Photo: Jason Redmond / TED)

The merger of humans and AI. Two billion years ago, a dying world was saved by two cells merging — an accident that gave rise to complex life on Earth. Tech entrepreneur D. Scott Phoenix says AI is our generation’s version of that moment, with the stage set for a merger between humans and the technology. “If we stay separate, AI is not a tool. It’s a replacement: one that gets better and cheaper every week,” he says. The boundary is already starting to dissolve; we just need to make sure humanity itself doesn’t fracture first. Phoenix’s talk is followed by two interviews, beginning with co-CEO of Waymo Tekedra Mawakana in conversation with TED Vision Steward Sal Khan. Mawakana discusses the state of her company’s autonomous driving technology, the staggering amount of rides they deliver per week (about 500,000) and how autonomous vehicles could solve the problem of road safety. Next up is entrepreneur and philanthropist Reed Hastings, who discusses his journey from cofounding Netflix to being appointed to the board of Anthropic in 2025, where he’s working to accelerate possibilities in education with the use of AI.

Hosts Chris Anderson, Divya Siddarth and Audrey Tang speak at TED2026: All of Us on April 14, 2026, in Vancouver, BC. (Photo: Jason Redmond / TED)

A standing ovation from the audience at TED2026: All of Us on April 14, 2026, in Vancouver, BC. (Photo: Jason Redmond / TED)

TED podcast “WorkLife” returns with new host, Molly Graham

2026-04-14T05:48:27Z

WorkLife is back — and entering a new chapter. The TED podcast is bringing in a brand-new host — community and company builder Molly Graham — to explore the lessons about work no one teaches you.

Molly Graham has spent nearly two decades inside fast-growing companies, helping them scale through messy, high-stakes moments of change. She led operations at organizations including Facebook, Quip and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and she’s known for coining the term “Give Away Your Legos,” which captures the identity shifts leaders face as organizations grow and roles evolve. In her TED Talk, Molly says excellent careers are not built by climbing — they’re built by leaps into the unknown.

We spend so much of our lives at work: doing it, thinking about it, worrying about it. And the full range of human experience shows up there, from ambition and failure to joy, burnout, confidence and self-doubt. Yet these realities often go unnamed, treated as distractions rather than what they truly are: part of the work itself.

On WorkLife, Molly starts from a different premise: that the messy inner life of work can be understood (and even harnessed) to help you build a more meaningful, more sustainable career. That idea echoes the themes of her TED Talk, where she describes how conventional ideas of success can trap people into believing that “self-worth is tied to your title, or your last performance rating, or your next promotion.”

In WorkLife’s new era, Molly will explore how to build a work life that actually fits you, rather than someone else’s definition of success.

Want to start listening? Our trailer is out now, and the first episode featuring a conversation between Molly and our past host, Adam Grant, will drop on Tuesday, April 28. Listen to WorkLife wherever you get your podcasts.

TED, Khan Academy and ETS announce new institute to reimagine higher education for the AI age

2026-04-14T17:01:35Z

Today at TED2026 in Vancouver, the nonprofit organizations TED, Khan Academy and ETS announced a joint plan to launch the Khan TED Institute, a new higher education collaboration designed for an AI‑driven era. The Khan TED Institute aims to prepare learners for the next generation of jobs while cultivating the uniquely human skills required to thrive in work, life and society amid rapid technological change.

Together, the three nonprofits bring complementary strengths — Khan Academy’s world-class learning platform, TED’s curated community of leading thinkers and transformative ideas and ETS’s trusted expertise in measuring skills — to pioneer a bold vision for the future of higher education.

The Khan TED Institute plans to offer learning built for a fast‑changing world, combining deep academic foundations, applied artificial intelligence, and development of the durable soft skills employers value most — skills that carry beyond the workplace into life. The intent of the program is to be as accessible as possible. Applications are expected to open in 12 to 18 months.

“We’re at a moment when education and the world are evolving quickly, and people need new ways to learn, build and demonstrate their capabilities,” said Sal Khan, founder and CEO of Khan Academy and TED Vision Steward. “Khan Academy’s mission has always been to make world-class education accessible to all. The Khan TED Institute is an extension of that vision to higher education, creating new paths that help more people find meaningful ways to contribute to the world around them.”

Once enrolled, students will advance based on measures of real competency rather than seat time, enabling personalized pacing while ensuring every learner leaves with verified competencies. The inaugural program will be organized around three pillars:

Core knowledge in mathematics, statistics, economics, computer science, science, history, and writing.
Applied AI skills, including AI‑assisted app development, financial modeling, building AI agents, and team‑based deployment projects.
Communication and leadership, developed through structured collaboration, peer tutoring, dialogue sessions, and public speaking.

“What’s inspiring is learning that leads to real-world opportunity,” said Amit Sevak, CEO of ETS. “This collaboration helps open new pathways into the AI economy where skill‑based measurement becomes the critical link between learning and livelihood.”

To ensure deep relevance with the rapidly changing nature of work, corporate partnerships are vital to the Khan TED Institute’s design. Corporate thought partners including Google, Microsoft, Accenture, Bain & Company, McKinsey and Replit will help shape the program and competency signals — ensuring the program stays aligned with the skills employers value most.

The Khan TED Institute also aims to bring together a global community of peers — including the millions of students and educators who already engage with TED’s education initiative TED-Ed — with the broader TED network of thinkers and leaders. Through live talks, Q&A sessions, and community‑based learning, students will connect ideas to real‑world challenges and opportunities.

“For nearly 40 years, TED has been connecting people with powerful ideas — and in the process, quietly educating millions,” said Logan McClure Davda, CEO of TED. “At a time when learning is changing quickly, we now need new ways to help people engage with ideas, develop judgment, and apply what they learn. The Khan TED Institute is an effort to expand what education can look like in the age of AI.”

To learn more about the Khan TED Institute and express interest as a student, corporate partner, educator or philanthropist, please visit Khan TED Institute and join us in building something transformative.

7 things we learned at day 1 of TED2026

2026-04-15T16:30:43Z

TED’s Sal Khan, Chris Anderson and Helen Walters host Session 1 of TED2026: All of Us on April 13, 2026, in Vancouver, BC. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

It’s time for TED!

TED2026 marks a pivotal milestone: our final conference in our beloved Vancouver venue before embarking on TED’s next chapter. To open the conference, TED’s Chris Anderson and Helen Walters welcome TED Vision Steward Sal Khan onto the stage for an eclectic session. Seven speakers explore how to thrive in the wild, wonderful and sometimes terrifying future we’re all facing together … before the session wraps up with a bang.

Malala Yousafzai speaks at TED2026: All of Us on April 13, 2026, in Vancouver, BC. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

Progress stalls. Hope doesn’t have to. Malala Yousafzai is the youngest Nobel laureate in history, so you might think she’s got social change figured out. But here’s the truth: “I don’t have all the answers,” she says. In a moving talk, she tells the story of her advocacy for girls’ education — from surviving an assassination attempt and meeting with world leaders to watching hard-won progress collapse when Afghanistan fell to the Taliban in 2021 — and talks about how to keep working for the future you want, even when hope feels lost. “If we start with something, work together and stay ambitious, hope stops being a thing we wait to feel and becomes something we create,” she says.

Adam Bry speaks at TED2026: All of Us on April 13, 2026, in Vancouver, BC. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

The next great infrastructure? Drones. Drone executive Adam Bry is helping to build the future of autonomous flight. He makes the case that self-flying drones are already transforming everything from emergency responses to public safety — preventing wildfires, mapping power grids and catching crime, all in real time. In a live demo, he launches a drone in Tokyo while piloting it from across the Pacific in Vancouver. For Bry, the future is one where flying robots work seamlessly in the background, as essential to daily life as roads and power lines.

Garrett Langley speaks at TED2026: All of Us on April 13, 2026, in Vancouver, BC. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

A technology platform for public safety. Garrett Langley built Flock Safety after watching crime rise in his own Atlanta neighborhood. Today, the network of license plate readers, cameras and drones helps solve more than a million crimes a year. He says the old model of policing — officers driving around looking for “suspicious activity” — was slow and riddled with bias, while data-driven technology can get to the truth faster. He takes the hardest questions head-on — about constitutionality, privacy guardrails and the state of mass surveillance — and asks if the US can build an infrastructure that makes crime simply unsustainable.

Hiba Qasas speaks at TED2026: All of Us on April 13, 2026, in Vancouver, BC. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

Peace is possible, but it has to start with more than empathy. After four decades spent living and working inside conflict zones, mediator Hiba Qasas shows how the traditional peacebuilding playbook mistakes process for progress, overlooking the real drivers of lasting peace: power, incentives and legitimacy. She introduces her framework, STIR, which flips the script by leading with principled pragmatism — or “self-interest with a spine” — an approach that has brought hundreds of Israeli and Palestinian leaders into an active coalition, working together even in the midst of war.

Jacob Collier speaks at TED2026: All of Us on April 13, 2026, in Vancouver, BC. (Photo: Jason Redmond / TED)

Music is a language we intuitively know. In a breathtaking performance, kaleidoscopic music maker Jacob Collier explores what he calls “the wiggle”: the fluid, supple energy that weaves melody, rhythm and harmony into a story. Professing his love for harmony — “the wiggle between the wiggles” — he reveals its power to shift the entire color of a song. There are no straight lines in nature, and there are none in music either. The wiggle is what makes it such a wonderful world.

Silvana Konermann (right) in conversation with TED’s Chris Anderson speaks at TED2026: All of Us on April 13, 2026, in Vancouver, BC. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

The virtual cell is almost here. Complex diseases like Alzheimer’s have stumped medicine for decades, because each patient’s biology is uniquely tangled. But scientist and 2025 Audacious Project grantee Silvana Konermann thinks artificial intelligence holds the key to finally untangling it. Her team at Arc Institute is harnessing single-cell sequencing, CRISPR and AI to run a billion high-quality cellular experiments, training a model that can “speak” the language of cells, the way LLMs learned to speak ours. The goal: a universal virtual cell that tells researchers exactly which interventions could turn a diseased cell back into a healthy one, transforming a century of guess-and-check medicine into something more like a cheat code.

Mark Rober preps a liquid-nitrogen-powered blast at TED2026: All of Us on April 13, 2026, in Vancouver, BC. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

Warning: this talk begins with an explosion. Science educator Mark Rober has spent years cracking the code on how to teach a generation raised on YouTube. If you can get their attention — like building the tallest elephant toothpaste fountain in history to teach the science of catalytic reactions — then suddenly you have somewhere to attach the learning. He calls it “hiding the vegetables.” Now he’s channeling this method into a full science curriculum for teachers everywhere that’s free, forever. Teachers have the most important job on the planet, he says: it’s time they had the tools to match.

Watch TED2026 on TED Live, check out more photos from the event and learn more about attending a future TED conference.

The ripple effect of an idea

2026-04-13T21:37:27Z

At TED, we say that ideas change everything. And it’s the people behind these ideas who make TED the powerful community it is.

Each talk sparks something: a new question, a shift in perspective, a feeling that lingers longer than expected. Those who hear the talk then forward along that nugget of insight, in a conversation with a colleague, a different choice at work, a risk they might not have taken previously. Over time, those small moments add up. What starts as a single spark becomes a series of decisions, collaborations and actions that reach far beyond the original concept, shaping not just one life, but many.

The videos below offer a window into TED’s compounding ripple effect, the life of an idea beyond the stage.

Jill Bolte Taylor

https://blog.ted.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/JillBolteTaylor_a30289.mp4

William Kamkwambe

https://blog.ted.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/WilliamKamkwambe.mp4

Ken Lacovara

https://blog.ted.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/KennethLacovara.mp4

Monica Lewinsky

https://blog.ted.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/MonicaLewinsky.mp4

Pamela Meyer

https://blog.ted.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/PamelaMeyer.mp4

Judge Victoria Pratt

https://blog.ted.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Victoria-Pratt_Ripple-Effect_USE-THIS.mp4

Kate Robinson, the daughter of the late Sir Ken Robinson

https://blog.ted.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Kate-Robinson-TED.mp4

Tom Shannon

https://blog.ted.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/TS2.mp4

Guy Winch

https://blog.ted.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/GuyWinch_8737bb.mp4

Watch TED2026: All of Us — live online this week

2026-04-14T02:32:09Z

Can’t make it to Vancouver for TED2026 this week? No problem! You can stream the entire conference online with TED Live.

TED Live brings the TED conference experience to your home – or anywhere you want to watch. Get exclusive access to every talk. Share the minute-by-minute excitement of the conference with people around the world. Get exclusive access to every talk, including ones that may not go online, and revisit your favorite talks on-demand anytime year-round.

This week, hear from:

Malala Yousafzai, Nobel laureate, education activist
Mark Rober, Science education champion
Jacob Collier, Kaleidoscopic music maker
Keke Palmer, Multihyphenate entertainer
Reed Hastings, Entrepreneur, philanthropist
Steve Huffman, Cofounder and CEO of Reddit
Jonathan Haidt, Social psychologist
Van Jones, TV host, author, changemaker
Sylvia A. Earle, Ocean scientist
Maya Higa, Content creator for wildlife conservation
Yinka Ilori, Designer of joy
Azusa Murakami, Artist
… and many more speakers illuminating the path forward in tech, culture, climate and what’s next

Watch TED2026 beginning Monday, April 13 »

A letter to democracy

2026-04-12T19:29:04Z

Dear Democracy,

How are you holding up? You’ve had some tough days lately, it seems. The last few years haven’t been very kind to you. Despite democracy being at a modern-day high at the end of 2017 (Drew Desilver, Pew Research), a 2025 report from the University of Gothenburg found that autocratic countries now outnumber democracies worldwide, with 72 percent of the global population living under some form of autocratic rule. Some sources say that global democracy has slid back to levels last seen in the 1970s, with The Economist’s Democracy Index reporting eight consecutive years of decline in 2025. Democracy, what happened to you? What can we do to make sure your future is secure and hopeful?

Hard-won, even harder-kept

The creation of modern-day democracy didn’t happen overnight, and it wasn’t easy. America gained independence from Great Britain 250 years ago — a challenge nobody expected to be successful at the time. The Founding Fathers gathered in the cosmopolitan city of Philadelphia, where critical conversations about the future of the thirteen colonies took place. It took an entire war, heartfelt debate and a lot of administrative work (thanks, John Hancock) to see the beginnings of what would eventually become American democracy.

But today, we’re struggling to keep the foundations of democracy from weakening under the weight of economic uncertainty, global instability and a decreasing sense of duty to our fellow humans. These conditions have made democracy seem less and less attractive. During times like this, we all look for someone to guide us, despite the reality that nobody has all the answers.

What’s being forgotten is that you, Democracy, are a core reason that America became the “city on a hill.” The freedoms embedded in the Constitution continue to be a model of societal progress, and it’s essential that the rights it enshrined are protected. What this moment calls for is a reimagining of what democracy can do for all of us. It protects us from kings and would-be tyrants. It allows each of us to have a say in how our country is run. And importantly, it creates a sense of shared values and community. Reinforcing democratic values — shared power, contestation, representation — is something we all must do for democracy to live up to its full promise. But to do this, we have to come together and talk. We have to have the hard conversations with people with whom we may not agree, learn to compromise and dream of the ways we can bring about the change we want to see. And what better place to do that than in Philadelphia?

Founding the Future

On June 13, 2026, thousands of people will gather in Philadelphia for a day of conversations that can change the shape of our democratic future. TED Democracy Philadelphia: Founding Futures will give democracy a stage, and give people a space to think boldly, dream without boundaries, confront differences in a constructive way and establish the foundation for the next 250 years of modern democracy.

This isn’t just about recognizing democracy’s past — it’s an invitation to dive into the future, where we can create a stronger democracy that works for all of us. But we can’t do it without you! Because if we want democracy to work for us, we have to work for it.

Be part of Philadelphia’s next chapter

Philadelphia’s story has always been written by people willing to speak up and lean in. TED Democracy Philadelphia: Founding Futures invites you to be part of that tradition.

Tickets and full event details are available now. Join the dialogue and experience democracy, Philly-style.

Use code “FUTURES” to score 15% off your tickets.

Join us at TED2026 in Vancouver, April 13–17

2026-04-14T02:31:33Z

The future has never felt more volatile. Politically, technologically and culturally, the rules are being rewritten. At TED2026 we’re upping our level of ambition and conducting a global search to identify the most powerful speakers from every corner of planet Earth. They’ll share ideas that change everything in a program brimming with the world’s greatest innovators, dreamers, creators and doers — focused on building no less than a better future for all.

Join us in Vancouver, BC, Canada, April 13–17, for TED2026 and hear from:

Keith Coleman, VP of product at X
Sylvia A. Earle, Ocean scientist
Jonathan Haidt, Social psychologist
Maya Higa, Content creator for wildlife conservation
Steve Huffman, Cofounder and CEO of Reddit
Yinka Ilori, Designer of joy
Van Jones, TV host, author, changemaker
Azusa Murakami, Artist
Keke Palmer, Multihyphenate entertainer
Malala Yousafzai, Nobel laureate, education activist
… and more than 70 other speakers illuminating the path forward in tech, culture, climate and what’s next

TED2026 is more than a conference; it’s the grand finale of an unforgettable chapter in Vancouver. This year, we’re pulling out all the stops. Get ready for a week of immersive experiences, powerful storytelling and a joyful send-off to the city that’s been our home for more than a decade. Over the course of a transformative week of ideas and connections, experience thought-provoking TED Talks each day and customize your schedule with hands-on workshops, Discovery Sessions and interactive spaces that ignite meaningful human connection. From the electric moments in our iconic theater to the magic of spontaneous connections that become lifelong friendships, every detail has been designed to inspire, uplift and celebrate.

Learn more and apply to attend »

Introducing TED’s exclusive strategic partner in China: New Channel International Education Group

2026-04-09T17:02:35Z

TED meets with New Channel International Education Group in New York City.

On March 16, 2026, TED and New Channel International Education Group held a formal signing ceremony in New York to celebrate their exclusive strategic partnership in China. The event brought together TED chair Chris Anderson, TED CEO Logan McClure Davda and New Channel Chairman Professor Hu Min.

Founded in 2004 by renowned language education leader Hu Min, New Channel International Education Group aims to open a “new channel” in education by offering innovative approaches to learning that complement traditional school systems. With a presence in more than 70 cities across China, as well as international hubs including Hong Kong, New York, and Tokyo, New Channel supports global youth development through language education, study abroad services, arts and music programs, cultural initiatives and academic research.

As TED’s exclusive strategic partner in China, New Channel is committed to nurturing global competence, cross-cultural understanding and lifelong learning. Its programs include international language training, academic preparation and cultural projects like the Stories of China Retold in English Challenge, engaging thousands of students worldwide each year.

By combining high-quality educational resources with opportunities for cultural exchange, New Channel empowers learners to explore new ideas, broaden their horizons and engage meaningfully with the world — values that align closely with TED’s mission of spreading ideas and inspiring learning globally.

The partnership marks a new phase of high-level collaboration in international education, idea-driven communication and cross-cultural exchange. Together, TED and New Channel will draw on premium content and innovative educational models to explore integrated pathways for global learning and international communication in a rapidly evolving era.

See more about the partnership here.

https://blog.ted.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/2026NC_Intro_EN_HD.mp4

To learn more about Hu Min and New Channel, visit their website.

TED Idea Search: Meet the thinkers competing for a spot on the biggest stage for ideas

2026-04-12T18:47:42Z

Over the past year, TED has been traveling the world (literally!) in search of powerful ideas — and the people bold enough to share them.

The result? A 9-part series that pulls back the curtain on what it’s actually like to deliver a TED Talk.

In each episode, you’ll step into a new city and meet the speakers bringing their ideas to the red circle and competing for a spot on the main stage at TED2026 in Vancouver. You’ll go backstage with them into rehearsal rooms and witness the nerves, the breakthroughs and the moments when an idea finally comes into focus. From a rock balancer and a disability specialist to a whale scientist and a bad-breath researcher, see the people shaping the future in their own communities — and learn what it takes to bring those ideas to the TED stage.

Sydney: Inside a theatre tucked in a library, a whale scientist and an Olympian took center stage — a reminder that compelling ideas can come from anywhere (and anyone).

Mumbai: In this episode, speakers explore everything from rock balancing to healthcare innovation, reflecting the range of ideas that make it to the TED stage.

Athens: Athens has celebrated big ideas for millennia — and it’s still not done. From the science of bad breath to the factories of the future, this episode moves from the deeply personal to the forward-looking.

Lagos: With one of the most electric audiences of the series, Lagos delivered talks ranging from renewable energy to the art of tailoring that celebrates a small town’s craft.

London: From a civil engineer revealing the invisible infrastructure shaping our cities to a classical singer uncovering the erased history of women in music, the speakers in London prove that the most powerful ideas are both deeply personal and impossible to ignore.

Singapore: In Singapore, a diver-turned-ocean-restorer, a scientist growing building materials out of fungus, and a government insider reimagining public institutions make the case that the most transformative ideas are already taking root

Chicago: A chemist saving endangered species with precision medicine, a journalist building tools for hard conversations, a runner mapping every street of a divided city: these are the kinds of ideas 10 Chicagoans bring to the red circle.

Buenos Aires: In a warehouse full of opera sets, 10 speakers deliver ideas as bold Buenos Aires itself, from a reframing of “brain rot” as diplomacy to the future of robotic medicine.

Amman: Inside a 2,000-year-old Roman amphitheater, a mountaineer who turned grief into motivation, a therapist rewriting the Arab world’s language around mental health and other incredible speakers make the case that the best ideas can come from anywhere.

Watch the full series of TED Idea Search on YouTube and TED.com.

Meet the 2026 class of TED Fellows

2026-03-03T17:10:23Z

For TED Fellows, hope isn’t abstract — it’s built through action. Across research labs and rural farms, courtrooms and classrooms, more than 500 Fellows in 100+ countries are reimagining the systems that shape our lives — climate and health, justice and education, art and technology. Together, they are repairing and redesigning the world into one that is more just, imaginative and alive with possibility.

For more than 17 years, the TED Fellows program has served as a launchpad for builders and visionaries. Through hands-on communication training, access to a global network of peers and mentors, and amplification across TED’s platforms, Fellows gain the tools and visibility to transform their work into real-world impact.

We are thrilled to announce the 2026 class of TED Fellows, whose work spans four continents and nine countries. Among them: a philosopher challenging our growing reliance on AI prediction, a vaccine inventor preparing the world for future pandemics, a technologist preserving and verifying media that documents human rights abuses, and Japan’s youngest-ever mayor reshaping democracy.

Meet the new Fellows below, and join us in welcoming them to the TED community:

Carissa Véliz
Philosopher, AI ethicist | Mexico + Spain + UK
Carissa Véliz is a professor at Oxford University researching humanity’s overreliance on prediction — from AI algorithms to political polling. In her latest book, Prophecy, she argues that predictions undermine democracy, eroding privacy and replacing human judgment.

Fabiola Reyna
Activist, guitarist, composer | Mexico + US
Fabi Reyna is a cultural activist and composer working with music as a tool for communication, investigation and sociopolitical resilience. As the founder of She Shreds Media and the creative behind the band Reyna Tropical, they offer spaces where underrepresented and diasporic people can unify and thrive.

Researcher Felix Hol holds a mosquito cage, used to collect malaria-carrying mosquitoes from people’s homes near Kalongo, Northern Uganda. Working with local teams of “mosquito hunters,” he studies how the insects adapt their behavior — like shifting when they bite — to circumvent prevention tools such as bed nets.

Felix Hol
Mosquito biotechnologist | Netherlands
Felix Hol is an assistant professor at Radboud University Medical Center, investigating mosquito behavior — from what they taste on our skin to why they now bite earlier in the day. By turning these insights into simple, open-source tools, he helps communities prevent harmful diseases.

Greg Tietjen
Biomedical innovator | US
As cofounder and CEO of Revalia Bio, Greg Tietjen revives donated, transplantable human organs and tissues, transforming them into powerful tools for biomedical research. By integrating medicine, engineering and data science, his team uses these living organs as a foundation to accelerate new drug development while lowering costs.

Hadi Al Khatib
Digital evidence technologist | Syria
As founder and managing director of Mnemonic, Hadi Al Khatib develops systems that collect and preserve citizen-generated digital media documenting human rights abuses. By verifying this open-source material as credible evidence, his work enables communities in Syria, Sudan, Ukraine and beyond to pursue justice and protect democracy.

Kizzmekia Corbett-Helaire
Immunologist, vaccine inventor | US
A key inventor of COVID-19 vaccine technology, Kizzmekia Corbett-Helaire leads a research lab at Harvard University. She develops vaccines and therapeutics for emerging viruses and educates the public on vaccine science to ensure humanity is ready for the next pandemic.

Ryosuke Takashima
Japan’s youngest-ever mayor | Japan
At the age of 26, Ryosuke Takashima became the youngest person to win a mayoral seat in Japan, sparking a new wave of young leaders in government. He invites citizens to participate in reforming their communities, spearheading education and climate policy as well as strengthening technological infrastructure.

Manufacturing innovator Schendy Kernizan demonstrates his team’s mold-free, gel-suspension printing process by producing a sample of a Madame de Wailly sculpture.

Schendy Kernizan
Manufacturing innovator | Haiti + US
Cofounder and CEO of Rapid Liquid Print, Schendy Kernizan invented a mold-free, gel-suspension manufacturing process with his team at MIT, making products more affordable, accessible and sustainable. From medicine to transportation to space exploration, his innovation is transforming industries.

Trinity Tran
Economic justice advocate | US
As a leader in California’s public banking movement, Trinity Tran helps cities redirect funds from big banks into affordable housing, small businesses and critical infrastructure. By passing first-in-the-nation legislation in the United States, she is empowering communities to reclaim control of their own economies.

Dancer and choreographer Tushrik Fredericks performs his original work “til infiniti,” inspired by his South African heritage and rigorous contemporary choreography training. (New York, May 2025)

Tushrik Fredericks
Dancer, choreographer | South Africa
Tushrik Fredericks is an award-winning choreographer and dancer who uses social dance and movement to express human emotions and experiences. Inspired by his South African heritage and contemporary dance training, he creates visceral and rigorous original choreographic works.

To learn more about these TED Fellows and follow their journey, check out @tedfellow on Instagram or join our newsletter.

The Audacious Project reveals its 2025 cohort and $1B catalyzing change

2026-03-02T21:40:24Z

The Audacious Project, the collaborative funding platform within TED, is thrilled to announce its newest cohort of grantee innovators. This new cohort extends the vital on-the-ground work of Audacious grantees on key global issues, including reducing the flow of plastics to rivers and oceans, improving reproductive care, preventing homelessness and investing in low-income and first-generation college students.

Since 2018, The Audacious Project has invited visionary social entrepreneurs to propose their boldest ideas to solve the world’s greatest challenges, and collaborated with them to transform their ambitions into achievable and audacious, multi-year plans.

Audacious has reached new heights — with more than $1 billion committed by the Audacious community at the end of 2025 to provide the flexible, long-term funding to launch and scale these bold ideas.

Audacious has also launched a reinvestment pilot program, providing a secondary funding round to previous grantees that demonstrated significant results after their initial five years of funding. The Audacious donor community has committed nearly $50 million in total follow-on funding to three selected organizations to scale their work and sustain their impact. This pilot demonstrates a commitment to flexible, long-term funding — and to the value of providing a longer runway for organizations creating transformational change.

The 2025 Audacious cohort includes:

Arc Institute, led by Silvana Konermann: Creating the world’s first high-utility virtual cell, an AI model accelerating medical breakthroughs toward cures for intractable diseases
Braven, led by Aimée Eubanks Davis: Closing the college-to-career gap for low-income and first-generation college students in the United States by partnering with higher education and employers to prepare students for the workforce
Imagine Worldwide, led by Rapelang Rabana: Scaling solar-powered, offline edtech learning solutions to reach students across Malawi, Sierra Leone and Tanzania
Ipas, led by Anu Kumar and Jean-Claude Mulunda: Preventing unsafe abortion in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and South Asia by removing systemic, legal and social barriers to care
Plastic Solutions Fund, led by Nicky Davies: Reducing plastic production and fostering a reuse-based, circular economy in partnership with the #BreakFreeFromPlastic movement.
Pure Earth, led by Drew McCartor: Protecting children from lead poisoning by helping 22 low- and middle-income countries implement proven approaches to prevent exposure and reduce health risks
Destination: Home’s “Right at Home,” led by Jennifer Loving: Stopping homelessness before it starts by scaling a proven prevention model across the country, redefining how the United States responds to the housing affordability crisis
Solutions for Our Climate, led by Joojin Kim: Transforming maritime trade into an industry that drives global decarbonization
The Ocean Cleanup, led by Boyan Slat: Stopping plastic from flowing into our oceans by intercepting and removing the waste accumulating in rivers
Tiko, led by Serah Malaba: Empowering and protecting girls across Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Africa and Burkina Faso from HIV, unintended pregnancy and sexual violence by connecting them to free care and services

The Audacious Project reinvestment organizations include:

Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT), led by Rebecca Firth: Establishing an Open Mapping Marketplace that connects trained and certified local mappers with decision-makers needing high-quality geospatial data to strengthen livelihoods and planning
Last Mile Health, led by Lisha McCormick: Saving the lives of women and children across the African continent by partnering with governments to train community health workers to deliver cost-effective primary care and transform health financing
Thorn, led by Julie Cordua: Hardwiring child safety into the fabric of the internet by equipping technology companies and law enforcement with AI-driven tools to combat child sexual abuse, protect children at scale and outpace emerging threats

“This year’s cohort represents what happens when humanity’s toughest problems are met with courage. It is also a declaration of what they imagine is still entirely possible. Whether they are charting paths to plastic‑free oceans, unlocking access to life-saving health services for women and girls globally or harnessing AI to prevent disease, the breadth and depth of these interventions is awe-inducing,” said Anna Verghese, executive director of The Audacious Project. “We’re humbled yet again by what the Audacious community makes possible.”

“Daring ideas matter most when they become achievable,” said Chris Anderson, founder of The Audacious Project and TED chairman. “These grantees prove what’s possible when we come together to dream big, take risks and build a more hopeful future.”

Through its unique model, The Audacious Project brings together dedicated philanthropists to give in community with one another, allowing funders to connect with groundbreaking projects that aim to solve humanity’s biggest challenges.

“The world’s problems are huge — they require audacious thinking and people willing to work together to solve them. I feel a real responsibility to give back and to support some of these immense issues through philanthropy. The Audacious Project helps me do that by connecting me with organizations that have big, bold plans and the vision to actually pull them off,” said Reed Hastings, founder and chairman of the board of Netflix and CEO of Powder. “What makes it unique is how it brings together diverse partners with serious, flexible capital to back the most visionary leaders out there. It’s an honor to be part of this community driving real systemic change.”

“Audacious brings together a community of grantees and funders who are optimistic, hopeful and believe that change is possible. As funders, we have a responsibility to be good stewards of philanthropic dollars, and to back grantee-led solutions to the problems that communities are facing. Amazing leaders deserve to be supported — and it’s our job to support them as future leaders of the world,” said Tegan Acton, founder and principal of Wildcard Giving.

Over the past eight years, the Audacious donor community has committed $4.6 billion in support of 70 bold projects spanning health, climate and community-led innovation, each one grounded in real-world work and designed to turn urgency into action. Audacious grantees have subsequently leveraged an additional $3 billion from other funders, catalyzing $7.6 billion in total funding. These figures point to the distinct power of collaborative philanthropy, when bold ideas and possibility are matched with a committed community that acts with purpose.

Audacious grantees have transformed educational systems worldwide, enrolling millions of girls in school, and have helped millions of people lift themselves out of ultra-poverty. They have driven medical breakthroughs — developing the world’s first computer-generated protein medicine, revolutionizing COVID-19 response systems and repurposing medicines to cure rare diseases. From developing the first whale language model to transforming how we track methane emissions, year after year, these projects redefine what is achievable in our world.

What these leaders imagine is possible. And we feel so lucky, together, to see a better future with them.

TED, the LEGO Group and the LEGO Foundation partner to launch Play@TED

2026-02-11T18:04:40Z

The LEGO Group and the LEGO Foundation today announced Play@TED, a partnership with TED to drive a movement and change how people of all ages think about play. Together they want to highlight how creative play can be a game-changer in the world and lead to brighter minds, braver ideas and a more imaginative future for everyone.

This collaboration, which has been funded by a grant from the LEGO Foundation in support of the UN adopted International Day of Play, seeks to spark a global conversation about the importance of play in nurturing children’s growth, fuelling innovation and inspiring cultural creativity.

Last month TED-Ed, in partnership with the LEGO Group and the LEGO Foundation, hosted a Connect Week, where more than 300 students aged 8-18 from 27 countries gathered virtually to discuss and reflect on playful experiences that helped them build real-world skills like confidence, creativity, collaboration and problem-solving. Students shared how playful learning shows up in their lives via short video response.

The partnership will culminate at an in-person Play@TED event to be held at the TED World Theatre in New York City on May 14, 2026. Curated by TED and aimed at parents, educators and policy-makers, the event will feature inspiring TED Talks from leading experts on the role and impact of creative play. The day, which will be centred around three key pillars: the transformative power of play, play as a mindset for all and how imagination can take us anywhere – and will be livestreamed to the public.

Confirmed speakers so far include Katina Bajaj, a Creative Health Scientist and co-founder & Chief Science Officer of Daydreamers; Randi Williams, AI and Education Researcher at Day of AI and MIT RAISE; and Maxwell “Hops” Pearce, a player on the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team and an accomplished artist.

Following the Play@TED event, an Action Hub on TED-Ed’s award-winning education platform will be available to help parents, policy-makers and communities turn ideas into action. A Learning Lab, packed with resources, discussion points, quizzes and curriculums, will help educators make play a priority in schools around the world.

TED-Ed’s YouTube channel, enjoyed by 22 million subscribers, will also feature five new TED-Ed animations, exploring topics from brain science to history, demonstrating how play fuels creativity, resilience and curiosity – driving progress towards bringing more play to society. Additionally, TED’s celebrated TEDx organizers worldwide will host play-themed events, throughout the year, bringing Play@TED ideas to local communities. These events will blend Play@TED talks with local speakers and activities, inviting communities to explore the power of play together.

For over 90 years the LEGO Group has championed the transformative role of play in the lives of children, helping them reach their full potential and develop lifelong skills such as creativity, communication, problem-solving skills and confidence. Inspiring fun, playful learning remains the LEGO Group’s purpose today.

For more information, visit ted.com/play

TED is bringing its learning model to the legal profession – here’s why

2026-01-12T18:02:58Z

This January, TED is introducing TEDLaw, a new training experience designed to help lawyers step back from constant urgency and reconnect with the judgment, values and human insight that define meaningful legal practice.

Legal work has always required rigor, discipline and technical skill. But the context in which lawyers operate has changed — rapidly and irreversibly.

Over the past several months, in conversations with lawyers across sectors, we’ve heard the same thing: today’s most complex challenges are no longer solved by technical expertise alone. They require ethical judgment, collaboration across differences, cultural awareness and the ability to navigate emerging technologies like AI with care and responsibility.

At TED, we start with a simple belief: ideas change how people see the world — and how they act within it. That belief has shaped how TED engages educators, scientists, artists, technologists and global leaders. With TEDLaw, we’re applying that same learning philosophy to the legal profession.

TEDLaw is not a traditional training program; it doesn’t begin with rules, slides or checklists. Instead, it creates space for lawyers to step back, encounter powerful ideas and reflect on how those ideas shape judgment, leadership and professional identity. From there, participants engage in facilitated dialogue and real-world simulations that mirror the complexity of modern legal practice.

This approach reflects something we see across TED’s work: sustainable change doesn’t come from information alone. It comes from perspective shifts, shared reflection and the opportunity to test new ways of thinking in real-world contexts.

The TEDLaw experience is organized around five interconnected areas that consistently emerged from our conversations with legal professionals:

Navigating Legal Identity and Values
Critical Thinking for Legal Solutions
Intuitive Collaboration in Law
Cultural Competence in Legal Practice
Practicing Law in the AI Age

Together, these pillars reflect a broader truth that the future of legal practice depends not only on what lawyers know but also on how they reason, relate and lead.

To bring this work to legal leaders at scale, TED is collaborating with organizations deeply embedded in the profession. Through a partnership with the ACC Foundation, TEDLaw will initially reach in-house legal leaders, creating space for reflection, peer learning and candid conversation about what it means to practice law well in a changing world.

Looking ahead, TEDLaw will also expand to law firms and other legal communities, extending TED’s learning model across the broader legal ecosystem.

At its core, TEDLaw is a fresh approach to legal education, one that’s rooted in listening, curiosity and a belief that even in a rule-bound profession, ideas still have the power to change everything.

Beginning in 2026, law firms will also have the opportunity to host TEDLaw training in partnership with TED and the ACC Foundation, extending this learning experience across the broader legal ecosystem. Learn more about TEDLaw.

10 films. 10 visionaries. Season 2 of TED Fellows Films is here!

2026-02-09T22:17:48Z

Last year, we launched something new — a fusion of traditional TED Talks paired with short-form documentary. You didn’t just watch; you showed up in force. So we’re back. Season 2 of the TED Fellows Film Series has officially arrived!

We’re thrilled to share a brand-new collection of films spotlighting our 2025 TED Fellows. Meet the pilot training young African women to fly — and rewriting who gets to navigate the skies. Follow the biotechnologist turning organic waste into biodegradable plastics that could reshape our supply chains. Learn from a scientist using satellites to protect crops and fight food insecurity. Step inside a rural American community where another Fellow is rebuilding local economies from the ground up, creating jobs where they vanished decades ago. And that’s only the beginning.

These innovators are part of a global network of 500+ TED Fellows across 100+ countries, pushing the boundaries of science, health care, business, journalism, conservation, art, technology and more — whose work touches more than 200 million lives every year.

Season 2 invites you deeper into the Fellows universe: 10 films, 10 powerful stories of people making change possible. The result is electric, human and unmistakably hopeful.

If you want a window into what the future could look like — and who’s already building it — start here. Watch all 10 films now at go.ted.com/fellows25 and listen to the extended interviews on the TED Talks Daily podcast here.

The most popular TED Talks of 2025 — and what’s next for 2026

2026-02-05T16:23:05Z

As 2025 winds down, take a moment to revisit the ideas that defined the year — through TED Talks that sparked curiosity, challenged assumptions and left us dreaming. TED’s end-of-year playlists gather the moments that stirred the biggest conversations and offered fresh inspiration as we head into 2026.

Here are the talks everyone obsessed over in 2025 — from deepfakes and AI to breakthroughs shaping our future:

Dive into the conversations that lit up 2025, sparking global debate on AI, geopolitics, parenting and more:

Check out this year’s TED-Ed hits — fascinating lessons on science, myths, health and the mysteries of everyday life:

Tune into the podcast episodes that defined the year, bringing fresh insight to creativity, climate, culture and well-being:

Explore 10 standout talks that left a mark on 2025 — brilliant ideas on art, space and civic engagement:

Start the year strong with talks on movement, immunity and the small habits that help you thrive:

Uncove talks that unlock clarity, creativity and calm — so you can think sharper and feel more grounded in 2026:

Here’s your comprehensive guide to the AI shifts transforming work, creativity and daily life:

Meet the thinkers turning bold ideas into real change across climate, health, public safety and economic justice:

Reflections from the TED Countdown House at COP30 in Belém

2025-12-05T15:48:16Z

TED Countdown is a global initiative to accelerate solutions to the climate crisis. Watch climate talks on our website and look for news about upcoming events, including local TEDxCountdown events near you.

Head of TED Countdown Lindsay Levin and executive director of SEEC Institute Max Frankel discuss the role of elected leaders in climate solutions before being joined onstage by US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse. (Photo: Marie McGrory / TED)

I’ve just returned from hosting two weeks of conversations, workshops and interviews at COP30 in Belém with TED Countdown. Much has been written about this COP’s shortfalls, frustrations and achievements — for excellent analysis, try Carbon Brief or Outrage and Optimism’s Inside COP podcast series. Instead, I want to share a few personal reflections about where we actually are — and what comes next.

COP30 unfolded like a split-screen experience. On one screen: the grinding paralysis of a multilateral process that requires unanimous agreement from 194 registered country delegations (with an official US delegation conspicuously absent), and the unrelenting evidence that we’re still far too slow in phasing out fossil fuels, decarbonizing our economies, and building resilience to the climate impacts already reshaping daily life.

On the other side: a vibrant, determined ecosystem of organizations and communities simply getting on with the work — building a healthier, more prosperous, more sustainable future in real time. Entrepreneurs, scientists, policymakers and concerned citizens are advancing hundreds of initiatives to reforest, restore, electrify and adapt. Those who made the journey to this modest city on the edge of the Amazon were the Doers. Despite the frustrations in the negotiating rooms, the wider spirit was practical and resolute — even joyful.

It became clear that we are both losing and winning this battle simultaneously — and mindset will be a decisive factor in which future takes hold.

TED Countdown House featured works from more than 20 local artists painted live onsite, including this centerpiece by Fabio Gaf. (Photo: Marie McGrory / TED)

At TED Countdown House — brought to life with the help of 20 extraordinary artists and an incredible local team — we transformed a historic building in the center of Belém into an open space for candid dialogue. Three thousand people came through during our 12-day program. Listening to the ideas and actions underway, several themes emerged:

1. Mitigation vs. adaptation is a false choice.
We must do both — and people on the frontlines know this instinctively, because they’re already living the collision of impacts and solutions.

2. Climate and nature are profoundly intertwined.
Climate, ecosystems and biodiversity are inseparable. Forests, oceans and grasslands aren’t just carbon sinks; they’re living infrastructure. Those closest to these landscapes — especially Indigenous communities, who safeguard more than one-third of the world’s intact forests and remaining wild landscapes — understand this deeply, and the rest of us are finally beginning to catch up.

3. Technology and traditional knowledge are not opposing forces.
We don’t need to choose between techno-optimism and ancestral wisdom — we need to direct our considerable intelligence, both human and artificial, toward solving problems that matter. Watching local guardians demonstrate how drones are transforming their ability to combat illegal deforestation on their lands was a vivid reminder: innovation is most potent when it’s in service of place, culture and stewardship.

4. China is accelerating climate solutions at remarkable scale.
China dominates the first wave of the clean technology revolution, and is moving fast to build on this. While their delegation did not step into the leadership role some hoped for in Belém, their influence is clear in other ways — including through renewable and battery technologies that are spreading rapidly across the Global South.

5. Despite a political retreat, the US is still in the game.

Turning back on tomorrow’s technologies is, for many of us, a self-defeating strategy. We were glad to host a series of meetings for the “informal” US delegation — former negotiators and leaders from cities, states, business and civil society who continue to push forward. The absence of schadenfreude from international peers was striking — a refreshing reminder of the generosity of the human spirit. Instead, there was concern, empathy and hope that the country will soon regain its footing.

6. The future requires more than technology — it requires moral courage.
Our most anticipated gatherings were those centered on courage, moral leadership and ethics. There is a deep desire for the space to talk about what matters most to people. We were honored to host the new Brazil-led Global Ethical Stocktake, to hear from its co-leaders — including Karenna Gore and Wanjira Mathai — and from respected Elders such as former Presidents Mary Robinson and Juan Manuel Santos. Indigenous leaders from every continent led wisdom ceremonies, grounding us in a relationship with the more-than-human world that is older, wiser and urgently needed.

Cacique Álvaro Tukano (left), an Indigenous chief from the Brazilian Amazon, shares his people’s fight to protect their ancestral lands from illegal deforestation in the premiere of THE CHIEFS short documentary. (Photo: Hilton Silva for TED Countdown)

My closing reflection is that the weather will (of course!) win. Belém offered a daily reminder of our current reality. Torrential rains flooded venues and sent rivers streaming down the streets. Around the world, heat waves strain healthcare systems; storms, floods and wildfires intensify; insurance costs soar.

We humans are notoriously bad at predicting the future. We assume today’s patterns — markets, politics, work — will continue in straight lines. But conditions can flip with surprising speed. We’ve locked in worsening extremes for decades. Yet how we respond is still being written, and each of us chooses our stance anew, every day.

Throughout the two weeks at the House, what stood out above all was stubborn optimism paired with relentless work. It feels as if the politics of climate change is lagging behind the action. People are exhausted by conflict. But in that weariness lies an opening: a chance to align with the builders, the solvers, the courageous.

There are countless ways to join this momentum. My bet is on a rising desire to fix things together — a quiet groundswell of kindness, collaboration and shared purpose. It is both more effective and more life-giving. And that, more than anything, is what I carried home from Belém.

With renewed hope,
Lindsay Levin, Head of TED Countdown

Former US Vice President Al Gore in conversation with WRI managing director Wanjira Mathai and Center for Earth Ethics founder Karenna Gore on the Global Ethical Stocktake. (Photo: Marie McGrory / TED)

TED finds its next stage in San Diego

2025-12-11T18:47:09Z

The future of ideas has a new address. (Photo: San Diego Tourism Authority)

In 1984, TED emerged in California with a radical proposition: that technology, entertainment and design were converging in ways that could change how we see the world. That idea became a global movement, and four decades later, we’re returning to our roots to begin a new chapter. Beginning in 2027, the annual flagship TED conference will make its home in San Diego, California.

This decision follows a rigorous, two-year process centered on infrastructure, community and the ability to scale TED’s mission in meaningful ways. San Diego positions us at the literal and cultural crossroads of innovation: a city where biotech breakthroughs happen alongside innovations in entertainment and media, where the Pacific Rim meets Latin America, and where some of the world’s most urgent challenges are already being tackled. For TED, the choice is as symbolic as it is strategic.

A bigger stage for bolder ideas

Anchored in San Diego’s waterfront district, the conference will center around the San Diego Convention Center, alongside other iconic venues across the city. This expanded footprint creates new opportunities for community engagement, allowing TED to grow its programming while preserving the intimacy and curation that define the TED experience.

San Diego’s venue capacity opens space for fresh programming formats and new participation models that serve TED’s global community. We’re finalizing these details now, with specifics on 2027 programming, pass structures and pricing to be announced following the 2026 conference — our final year in Vancouver.

“TED has always been about bringing unlikely voices together,” says Monique Ruff-Bell, TED’s chief program and strategy officer. “San Diego represents where we’re heading next — a community built on collaboration, a city tackling the challenges that matter most, and a place where the future is already being imagined. This is where global meets local, where innovation meets impact.”

At the heart of this region is a powerful idea — that borders don’t define innovation; people do. The Tijuana–San Diego corridor embodies a binational identity where ideas, talent and cultures move freely. For TED, an organization built on the belief that ideas transcend boundaries, the choice is as symbolic as it is strategic.

TED’s presence also represents a meaningful investment in San Diego’s innovation ecosystem. Our experience in Vancouver demonstrated how hosting the flagship TED conference strengthens a city’s cultural and economic fabric — supporting local suppliers, creating job opportunities and amplifying the region’s voice on the global stage. Over the last two years, TED’s Vancouver operations produced a total regional economic impact of over $16 million annually. In San Diego, we’re committed to deepening connections and contributing to a community already shaping tomorrow’s breakthroughs.

Our unwavering commitment to global community

The return to California marks our homecoming, but TED’s mission remains borderless. With more than 13,000 TEDx events held to date across 150 countries spanning Europe and Africa to Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, TED intentionally curates spaces around the globe where ideas are examined deeply, shared openly and met with genuine curiosity.

After 12 remarkable years in Vancouver, we are profoundly grateful for the partnership and warmth that made TED thrive in Canada. That city will always hold a special place in TED’s story, and we look forward to celebrating that legacy this spring at TED2026.

Stay tuned for more updates and register for TED2026: All of Us in Vancouver — where we’ll celebrate a city that helped define a generation of TED moments and look forward to our next chapter, together.

The stories that stay: What remains when memory fades

2025-12-07T23:06:29Z

By Brigid Jacoby, with Amanda Lynch

November is National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, a time to pause, reflect and continue the conversation on a disease that touches millions of lives around the world. Alzheimer’s isn’t just a medical challenge — it’s an emotional one that reshapes families, identities and the way we connect with one another.

Every TED Talk begins with a story. Every story begins with a memory. That is the idea at the heart of the TED Memory Project, created in partnership with Eli Lilly and Company. It’s a multi-platform, multi-month movement that explores how memory drives innovation and connection while advancing understanding and empathy around Alzheimer’s.

In his TED Talk, “Where does your sense of self come from? A scientific look,” Anil Ananthaswamy shares: “Take, for instance, the question ‘Who am I?’ The most likely answer you will get or give to such a question will be in the form of a story. We tell others, and indeed ourselves, stories about who we are. We take our stories to be sacrosanct. We are our stories. But a condition that most of us, sadly, will be familiar with, Alzheimer’s disease, tells us something quite different. Alzheimer’s begins by affecting short-term memory. Think about what that does to someone’s story. In order for our stories to form, to grow, something that just happens to us has to first enter short-term memory and then get incorporated into what is called long-term episodic memory. It has to become an episode in our narrative.”

This blog is one way of continuing that work, giving space for voices like Brigid Jacoby’s to reflect on how Alzheimer’s can alter identity and the stories that shape us. It is a space for reflection, where ideas meet lived experience, and where the threads of resilience, grief, curiosity and hope come into focus.

When Brigid watched Anil’s TED Talk, one idea struck her: our sense of self is built on the stories we tell about our past, our families and the choices we have made. Alzheimer’s complicates this deeply because it disrupts short-term memory, the very building blocks of those stories. Without being able to record and recall, the narrative of who we are becomes harder to sustain. “That idea resonated with me because I have seen firsthand how Alzheimer’s can change a person’s sense of self, not by erasing them, but by reshaping how their identity is expressed,” Brigid said.

Anne Jacoby

Brigid shares her reflections after the recent passing of her mother, Anne, who lived with early-onset Alzheimer’s. Anne passed on October 30th, 2025, early in the morning, surrounded by her three children. She began experiencing symptoms in her late forties, with her first memory complaints documented at 51. At first, it was small things like misplacing her keys, forgetting dates or struggling with her computer. But soon, the disease began interfering with her work. After more than 20 years in her industry, she lost her job, and even retail shifts became difficult when she couldn’t navigate the digital sales system. Brigid’s younger sibling even took a job at the same shop just to help keep an eye on her.

Anne was a storyteller. As an Irish American, she carried forward the histories of her grandparents immigrating from Ireland, weaving them into a family tapestry she often shared with her children. Her sense of self was tied to these stories and to the act of passing them down.

“One day, sitting outside with my mom, I asked her to retell a story about my great-grandmother,” Brigid recalls. “But this time, I watched panic rise in her eyes as she struggled to understand what I was referencing. The words did not come. Instead, tears did. It was not just memory loss, it was a fracture in identity, the vanishing of a thread she had long held onto as proof of who she was and where she came from.”

Over time, Brigid and her siblings learned to meet Anne in a different place, one not rooted in lost stories but in new ways of being together. They leaned into humor, curiosity and wonder. They asked silly questions, marveled with her at the shape of plants and clouds, or let her imagination spin freely without the pressure of accuracy. In those moments, Anne still expressed herself. Not through the precise retelling of family history, but through joy, silliness and awe.

Anil’s TED Talk reminded Brigid that even as memory fades, the self is not gone — it is simply altered. As Ananthaswamy explains, “I also believe that altered selves should not be seen as the outcome of deficits, or as the outcome of a lack of attributes considered normal. They are different ways of being, and it is the willingness of some of us to confront the self’s constructed nature that is helping make sense of the self for all of us.”

That is why Alzheimer’s awareness matters to her. She wants people to understand that while the disease changes a person, it does not erase them, a lesson she carries forward after her mother’s recent passing. “This awareness gives us tools to show up differently,” Brigid said. “To support loved ones as they move into a new version of themselves, rather than turning away in fear or discomfort. My hope is that people can approach those living with Alzheimer’s with patience, curiosity and care, seeking to understand what they are experiencing instead of mourning only what has been lost. By doing so, we can honor who they are becoming, not just who they were.”

Because behind every statistic is a person like Anne, whose story Brigid now carries forward. And behind every talk is someone like Brigid, reminding us why these conversations must continue.

TEDNext 2025 — in photos

2025-12-26T22:13:33Z

TEDNext 2025 in Atlanta, now in its second year, celebrated those asking big questions about life, work and the world. Across three days of TED Talks, discovery sessions, meet-ups and more, attendees from 31 countries and every walk of life explored what’s next, how to lead and what really matters. Below, enjoy a photo roundup from TEDNext 2025.

TEDNext 25 Photo Team: Leandro Badalotti, Ryan Lash, Erin Lubin, Callie Shields, Lynsey Weatherspoon and Elizabeth Zeeuw

Watch TEDNext 2025 on TED Live, check out more photos from the event and learn more about attending a future TED conference.

The welcome reception at TEDNext 2025, November 9-11, 2025, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

TED Translators welcome dinner at TEDNext, November 9-11, 2025, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Erin Lubin / TED)

TEDNext 2025, November 9-11, 2025, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Erin Lubin / TED)

Newcomers orientation at TEDNext 2025, November 9-11, 2025, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Erin Lubin / TED)

Pedaling through Atlanta’s progress at TEDNext 2025, November 9-11, 2025, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Elizabeth Zeeuw / TED)

Dine-around at TEDNext 2025, November 9-11, 2025, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

TEDNext 2025, November 9-11, 2025, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Erin Lubin / TED)

TEDNext 2025, November 9-11, 2025, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

The Next Stage at TEDNext 2025, November 9-11, 2025, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

Service puppies at TEDNext 2025, November 9-11, 2025, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

TEDNext 2025, November 9-11, 2025, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

TEDNext 2025, November 9-11, 2025, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Erin Lubin / TED)

Closing party at TEDNext 2025, November 9-11, 2025, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Erin Lubin / TED)

TED Translators at TEDNext, November 9-11, 2025, in Atlanta, GA. Photo: (Erin Lubin / TED)

TEDNext 2025, November 9-11, 2025, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Erin Lubin / TED)

TEDNext 2025, November 9-11, 2025, in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

Watch TEDNext 2025 on TED Live, check out more photos from the event and learn more about attending a future TED conference.