Can AI companions help heal loneliness? | Eugenia Kuyda

Fighting climate change is much like long-distance running: a complex journey filled with obstacles, fast-changing conditions and the need for constant adaptation. Drawing on his own experience as an ultramarathon runner, energy expert Greg de Temmerman charts a path for climate action that balances difficult choices and imperfect solutions with the need for urgent progress. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Internet filmmaker Baron Ryan talks to himself, but he doesn't always like what he has to say. In a funny, existential play (where Ryan plays both himself and his mind), he contemplates the paradox of being a people pleaser, the efficacy of melatonin gummies and the squirming questions that keep many of us up at night. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Environmental challenges aren't for just one political party to deal with — everyone must work together to solve them, says conservation champion Danielle Butcher Franz. Drawing on her work with young conservatives mobilizing environmental action, she shares how bridging divides and embracing shared values is the only way to tackle one of the world's biggest problems. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Each Sunday, TED shares an episode of another podcast we think you'll love, handpicked for you… by us. Is kindness (and a little math) all it takes to save a company? James Rhee, professor of entrepreneurship, author, and impact investor, believes the answer is yes. This week he joins Anne Morriss and Frances Frei on the Fixable podcast to share lessons from his remarkable turnaround of Ashley Stewart — a retail company primarily serving Black, moderate income, plus size women — as a Korean American private equity investor who had never been a CEO before. Fixable is TED's business advice podcast. What problems are you dealing with at work right now? Call or text 234-FIXABLE or email [email protected] to be featured on the show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AI companions could either be the cure to our loneliness epidemic … or humanity's final downfall, says Eugenia Kuyda, creator of Replika — an app that allows you to create AI friends. She explores the potential of this technology to either exacerbate isolation or encourage connection, advocating for an AI whose success is driven not by clicks and screen time but by human happiness and flourishing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Success rarely happens in a straight line, with setbacks all but guaranteed along the way. What's the best way to recover? Leadership coach Amy Shoenthal lays out the four phases of the "setback cycle" and explains how to transform difficult moments into opportunities for reinvention and progress. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can marketing transcend traditional business goals and actually be a force for good? Mastercard CMO Raja Rajamannar shares how purpose-driven initiatives — like “touch cards” for the visually impaired and debit cards that let people choose how their names appear — align profit with purpose and position businesses to create meaningful, positive change. (This conversation was hosted by TED's Whitney Pennington Rodgers.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The option to work from home means that work truly works for everyone, says Avani Prabhakar, chief people officer of a large tech company. She explains how flexibility and asynchronous collaboration in a distributed workplace can unlock diverse global talent, level the playing field for introverts and actually increase productivity — without damaging company culture. (Made in partnership with Atlassian) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if AI could help connect you with the right medical care, exactly when you need it? Health systems entrepreneur, surgeon and TED Fellow Mohamed Aburawi explores how his digital health platform, Speetar, uses AI to bridge the healthcare gap in underserved regions, like his native Libya, by connecting patients with doctors who truly understand their needs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How prevalent is solar power, really? According to researcher Jenny Chase, it's already displacing fossil fuels in key energy markets around the world. She explains the rise of affordable solar power and dives into how her team tracked its rapid installation in unexpected countries, offering a vision of a brighter, more sustainable future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.