Is the real danger of AI the technology or the communities it leaves behind?
In this urgent TED talk, social entrepreneur Van Jones argues that while technology is rapidly advancing, our collective wisdom is struggling to keep pace. He reframes the artificial intelligence debate, proposing a new deal between big tech and humanity.
Van Jones, a Yale-educated attorney and former green jobs advisor to the Obama administration, suggests that a new human civilization is emerging in real time. During his presentation at TED2026, Jones highlights the risk of technological progress outstripping our social frameworks. He advocates for a shift in focus, moving away from the fear of the technology itself toward addressing the inequality faced by communities left behind by the digital revolution.
Drawing on his experience leading Rebuild the Dream—a platform for bottom-up innovation—Jones proposes a different kind of 'AI' to bridge the gap between big tech and the rest of humanity.
Source: The Kind of AI We Actually Need | Van Jones | TED
