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A personal assistant for everyone: The promise of ambient AI
We're leaving the app era and entering the age of ambient AI: intelligent help that’s always on, but never in the way.
Gen Z: We must resist the temptation to cheat on everything
Adopting the "cheat on everything" mentality — treating thinking as a burden AI can eliminate — is not only wrong, it’s dangerous.
Inside a neuroscientist’s quest to cure coma
Thousands of Americans are trapped in disorders of consciousness. Neuroscientist Daniel Toker is searching for a way out.
Albert Einstein said automation caused the Great Depression. It didn’t.
Einstein blamed automation for the widespread unemployment of the Great Depression, but his reasoning was based on a false premise.
Has AI made “learn to code” obsolete?
Freethink talks to the creator of the world's most popular AI coding assistant to find out whether learning to code is still worthwhile.
Google AI exec: “The mistake would be thinking this is hype.”
Bestselling author and Google Labs' Editorial Director Steven Johnson talks about the future of AI at Freethink's Great Progression event.
A call to innovators in Silicon Valley and beyond to help chart the new way forward
Peter Leyden sums up the key themes and big ideas of his new series at a Freethink Conversation in San Francisco.
Technophobia has a body count
Activists push scary headlines about the harm they predict a technology will cause, but ignore the good things we stand to lose without it.
The AGI economy is coming faster than you think
The impact of AGI on the economy will be big, it’ll happen fast, and it’ll be disruptive. Here's how the disruption could play out.
It’s far too early to call “peak ideas”
Economic growth is driven by ideas, not resources — and as history shows, the well of innovation is unlikely to ever run dry.
The war on artificial ice
Decades before states started banning lab-grown meat, manufactured ice was the "unnatural" alternative under attack.
What if you could start civilization over with AI?
Innovators in every industry and field should adopt the same mantra: If you could start fresh with AI, then what would you do?
How consensus can undermine science
The main objective of consensus statements appears to be to reduce doubt, which may stifle scientific inquiry.
Three founders look to the future at Freethink’s inaugural Great Progression event
The tech community came together for the launch of the Great Progression event series, curated by Peter Leyden and produced by Freethink.
Why AI today is more toddler than Terminator
In "Raising AI," author De Kai argues that AIs are more like society's children than machines under our control.
How proof-of-human tech could save the internet
Sam Altman’s World Network uses iris-scanning Orbs to give people a way to prove that they are people — and not AIs — online.
The AI social network war has begun
A secret prototype, a hardware deal with Jony Ive, and millions of AI images suggest OpenAI is making a play for your social media feed.
Predictions of resource scarcity have a fundamental flaw
From where we stand, the true limits to growth are currently unknowable and need not affect any decisions we make today.
Are large language models dyslexic?
Despite outperforming humans at many tasks, multimodal LLMs struggle to read time on a clock — just like many people with dyslexia.
AI thinks “vegetative electron microscopy” is real — it’s not
The appearance of a nonsense term in multiple scientific papers has exposed how flawed data in training sets can become embedded in AIs.
Pac-Man turned 45 today. The surgeon general once warned that playing it could make kids violent.
Officials' warnings about the impact of video games on kids were never proven true. They may be making the same mistake with social media.
Grand Theft Auto 6’s delay could lead to a spike in real-life crime
If violent video games caused real-world violence, we'd see spikes in crime right after their release. Instead, we see the opposite.
Why Substack will be the intellectual engine of the 21st century
The 21st-century version of the Royal Society could be the Substack network that we are just starting to build out today.
Vibe coding is rewriting the rules of technology
Rather than meticulously crafting each line of code, developers can now “vibe” with AI tools using natural language.
Cheap AI is causing a power shift in the world’s militaries
The militaries that leverage the low-cost capabilities of AI the most will have a decisive advantage in the future.
Media has a blind spot when covering the AI panic
When news outlets quote warnings of an impending AI catastrophe, they rarely mention the two main movements behind this narrative.
Indie developers may save the video game industry from itself
Indie developers continue to push the video game industry forward as big-name publishers focus on safe bets and machine-pressed sequels.
How AI could usher in The New Enlightenment
AI could trigger a civilization-scale change for humanity the same way the steam engine helped usher in The Enlightenment 250 years ago.
The missing tech case for how we create an era of abundance
AI and other new technologies could make things that are costly and scarce today, cheap and abundant for all tomorrow.
This startup is racing to mine the final frontier
AstroForge isn't afraid to take risks if it means being the first to mine asteroids for the rare metals we need for many clean energy technologies.
Why America reinvents itself every 80 years — and is doing so again
Three separate theories help explain why America enters a period of great progress every 80 years — and why another is coming soon.
“Stopping climate change” is the wrong goal
Anything that matters to humans should be under our control. The climate matters—so we should control the climate.
How DeepSeek rewrote the rules of the AI race
Chinese startup DeepSeek has proven that vast quantities of capital and cutting-edge chips aren't prerequisites for world-class AI.
America underestimates the difficulty of bringing manufacturing back
Tariffs won't bring manufacturing back to the US, but there are ways to make it happen — if America is serious about doing so.
Kevin Kelly points a new way forward into the Age of AI
One of the most original and optimistic thinkers in America helps build out some big through lines on what's possible with AI in the next 25 years.
The artifact isn’t the art: Rethinking creativity in the age of AI
ChatGPT's Studio Ghibli imitations invite questions about the creative value of people and what we really mean when we talk about creativity.
America is going through its every-80-year reinvention
Futurist Peter Leyden finds parallels between America in 2025 and at three pivotal points in its history, each 80 years before the last.
A dozen reasons to read Peter Leyden at this critical juncture in history
To truly understand our historic moment, you need a comprehensive, big-picture, long-term perspective that deeply understands artificial intelligence and the next wave of transformative technologies.
What is The Great Progression: 2025 to 2050?
We have a historic opportunity to harness AI and other transformative technologies in order to make a much better world in the next 25 years.
Humanoid helpers are now entering our homes
Robotics startup 1X Technologies is now sending its humanoid robots into homes to help people with chores and provide companionship.
Fire-resilient prefabs are helping LA build back better
Victims of LA's wildfires are opting for tech company Cover's prefab homes over traditional new builds. Here's why.
Progress happens because solutions create new problems to solve
Solutionism means fully accepting what’s in front of us and enthusiastically stepping up to meet the challenge.
Arc Institute’s new AI can read and write the code of life
Training on the DNA of nearly 130,000 species taught Evo 2 how to generate DNA sequences the same way other AIs do text or images.
All PCs will be AI PCs “pretty soon,” says Intel exec
Manufacturers are now equipping their PCs with the hardware needed to run the latest AI applications locally. Here's what that means for you.
We’re able to create new creatures through gene editing. What’s stopping us?
The question isn’t whether we can sculpt new life. The question is what comes next.
Today’s wearables track your body. Tomorrow’s could treat it.
Wearables that treat health issues, track countless biomarkers, and last far longer than today's devices are on the horizon.
How AI is reshaping the legal profession
AI-powered tools may already be giving some lawyers the upper hand in court.
These red-hot “green jobs” could help Gen Z cope with its eco-anxiety
"Green" jobs that help combat the climate crisis are on the rise, according to the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs 2025 report.
Why nations are looking offshore to decarbonize their grids
Interest and investment in offshore solar, wind, and nuclear power systems is increasing as global efforts to decarbonize ramp up.
Blind optimism is not a cure for blind pessimism
We need to fully acknowledge problems, while vigorously pursuing solutions. Call it “solutionism.”
Sal Khan wants to give every student on Earth a personal AI tutor
Khan Academy's new AI tutor, Khanmigo, has the potential to revolutionize education for students and teachers alike.
The startup using “digital twins” to protect homes from wildfires
Stand Insurance is using computer simulations and "digital twins" to help homeowners make their properties fire resilient.
Pantheon creator Craig Silverstein on uploading our brains to the internet
How the cult hit sci-fi show imagines a “techno-realist” future.
The US needs another 4 million houses. Here’s how it could get them.
Restrictive zoning policies helped create America's housing shortage. Zoning reform could help end it.
How AI is being drafted for a digital cold war
"Technology has always been co-opted for war, but truly intelligent AI, let alone a superintelligence, is a different beast entirely."
T-Minus: Counting down the top 10 space stories of 2024
A look back on the 10 greatest space stories of 2024, from SpaceX's "Mechazilla" to a first-of-its-kind civilian spacewalk.
How cryopreservation could end death as we know it
The technology could one day allow people with terminal illnesses to go into "hibernation" until a cure is found.
Google’s $1 billion bet on Africa’s digital future
Just 37% of sub-Saharan Africans use the internet today, but Google predicts the next 10 years will be the region’s “digital decade.”
How to reclaim meaning in a changing world
What if the barrier to a fulfilled life isn’t technology, it’s culture?
Has the US reached “peak obesity”?
A CDC survey suggests America’s obesity rate may be falling. Is this a turning point in the obesity epidemic? Or just a temporary plateau?
T-Minus: Kessler Syndrome
Experts answer 10 big questions about the nightmare scenario that could send us back to the pre-Space Age.
How Boom is resurrecting supersonic flight
If Boom gets its way, the future of supersonic passenger travel will be quieter, cleaner, and more affordable than its past.
How the Internet Archive’s “Free Digital Library” fell to the “fair use” test
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit has found the Internet Archive to be in violation of federal law. Here's why.
Can we automate science? Sam Rodriques is already doing it.
People need to anticipate the revolution that’s coming in how humans and AI will collaborate to create discoveries, argues Sam Rodrigues.
Tracy Chou built a startup to “deep clean” your socials
Tracy Chou's Block Party is helping people enjoy the benefits of social media while staying safe both online and IRL.
Why the USSR and China fell behind the US in the Chip Cold War
The US is currently winning the "chip war" with China, but to stay ahead, experts say it needs to start manufacturing microchips stateside.
Silicon chips are no longer sustainable. Here’s what’s next.
To take our tech to the next level, we need a more energy-efficient semiconductor. Gallium nitride could be it.
Is this the biggest industrial espionage campaign in history?
The cat-and-mouse game between China and the world’s semiconductor companies is already having enormous consequences.
AI is now designing chips for AI
AI-designed microchips have more power, lower cost, and are changing the tech landscape.
Port workers are at war with automation. Can they win?
A timeline of events leading to the ILA's recent strike, what each side wants, and what could happen if they do — or don’t — get it.
Charting the race for energy in the Age of AI
As AI's demand for computing power skyrockets, data centers are under immense pressure to boost efficiency and increase sustainability.
T-Minus: 10 milestones in commercial spaceflight
T-Minus looks back at 10 major milestones in the commercial space industry — including several SpaceX triumphs.
The robotaxis have arrived
Alphabet-backed Waymo is leading the robotaxi revolution, but Tesla’s new Cybercab could change everything.
This $400 genetic test could save your life
Nucleus Genomics' new whole genome sequencing and analysis service promises to reveal the secrets hidden in your DNA.
Charting the evolution of nuclear energy
Nuclear fission’s stalled growth might give way to fusion’s clean energy potential
AI chatbots may ease the world’s loneliness (if they don’t make it worse)
AI chatbots may have certain advantages when roleplaying as our friends. They may also come with downsides that make our loneliness worse.
The master plan to end EV “range anxiety” forever
A look at the history of EV charging and the tech trends that could encourage more people to make the switch to an electric car.
Why happiness is not the best indicator of well-being
Achieving values and pursuing growth is the real secret to a fulfilled life.
Will AI supercharge hacking — if it hasn’t already?
The future of hacking is coming at us fast, and it isn’t clear yet whether AI will help attackers and defenders more.
The startup using balloons to cool the planet
A look at the history of stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI), the arguments against it, and the startup putting it into action right now.
The rise of the semi-autonomous car
A look back at the history of driving automation and the kinds of tech we can expect to see hitting the road in the coming years.
The future of fertility, from artificial wombs to AI-assisted IVF
A look back at the history of infertility treatments and ahead to the tech that could change everything we thought we knew about reproduction.
T-Minus: 10 space stations of the future
The International Space Station may be nearing retirement, but 10 new space stations are just preparing for launch.
The overlooked virtues of a crowded world
In a world of rising cynicism, a celebration of our capacity to create, adapt, and thrive.
America’s plan to resurrect nuclear power
To increase its supply of clean nuclear power, the US government is cutting licensing fees, rewarding reactor innovation, and more.
The future of data centers — on land, at sea, and in space
As our digital world grows, demand for data centers is also increasing. To meet that demand sustainably, developers are getting creative.
Why harmony with nature is a myth
Slowing growth and limiting development isn’t living in harmony with nature—it is surrendering in a battle.
LLMs are a dead end to AGI, says François Chollet
AI researcher François Chollet thought we needed a better way to measure progress on the path to AGI — so he made one.
How humanity transformed its fate
From surviving on wild plants and game to controlling our world with technology, humanity's journey of progress is a story of expanding human agency.
The next big tech trend will start out looking like a toy
In "Read, Write, Own: Building The Next Era of the Internet," investor Chris Dixon explains why the biggest trends often go overlooked.
Replit CEO Amjad Masad on bringing the next 1 billion software creators online
Freethink spoke with Masad about the future of software development, the outsized power of Silicon Valley, and the absurdity of the AI extinction theory.
Life was dirty, difficult, and dangerous for almost everyone who ever existed
9 minutes of cruel history may cure the anti-progress delusion.
9 dumbphones to help curb your screen addiction
While smartphones keep getting more powerful, the growing dumbphone phenomenon is subverting expectations.
Perplexity, Google, and the battle for AI search supremacy
AIs that generate answers to user queries could transform search, but only if someone can get the tech and the business model right.
A new vision for the advancement of humanity
The world needs a moral defense of progress based in humanism and agency.
How AI is rewriting Silicon Valley’s relationship with the Pentagon
Silicon Valley is warming to the Department of Defense as it works to get new AI systems developed and deployed en masse.
T-Minus: SpaceX’s Starship vs. Boeing’s Starliner
A breakdown of SpaceX's Starship, Boeing's Starliner, and what they mean for the future of space exploration at NASA.
What will it take for smart glasses to replace smartphones?
Smart glasses that combine personal computing, AI, and augmented reality could be the next life-changing consumer tech device. Here's how.
Boosted Breeding and beyond: 3 tech trends that could end world hunger
A world without hunger is possible, and the development and deployment of new farming technologies could be one key to manifesting it.
How the TikTok case pits national security against freedom of speech
Whether the video-sharing app TikTok is banned or not, it will continue to add fuel to the fiery debate on freedom of speech.