AI is everywhere. How real is it? Can we control it? What even is it? Is your toaster planning a coup? Baratunde Thurston doesn't have all the answers, but in realizing that the new rules for this new world are still being written, he sees incredible opportunity. In this talk, Baratunde shares his long personal history with tech (his mother was a coder in the early 1980s) and offers helpful frameworks for deciding if and how to use this new wave of AI tools. He also shares useful, specific, and entertaining examples of how he's used AI to enhance his writing, grow his brand, boost productivity, improve collaboration, and even become a better mixologist and husband. Rather than simple fear or dismissal, he shares ways of thoughtfully and responsibly engaging with these technologies. We can prompt AI to do all sorts of things for us, but if engaged responsibly, it can also prompt us to be more human.

There are too many crises: climatological, technological, democratilogical? Even the use of the word crisis has reached crisis levels. While there are policies and investments and direct actions needed in response, there is also a story. What we tell ourselves about ourselves shapes how we show up in these times. Baratunde has been finding stories across our relationships with the natural world, with our fellow humans, and even with the machines that provide strong hints of where we need to go and how to get there. From traditional indigenous worldviews to A.I., a new story is being born based on values of interdependence, which is actually the oldest story of them all.

In this uplifting and eye-opening talk, Baratunde Thurston takes you on a journey across America’s outdoor spaces, sharing powerful stories from his PBS series America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston as well as his projects with the National Forest Foundation and outdoor-friendly brands. Through humor, heart, and lived experience, he explores how nature can serve as common ground in a divided nation, offering a path to connection, economic opportunity, and healing.

More than just an environmental issue, our relationship with nature shapes our democracy, our communities, and our future. Baratunde challenges us to see ourselves as part of nature, not apart from it, and reveals why conservation is not only a moral imperative but also an economic powerhouse. Whether it’s climate justice, access to green spaces, or the untapped potential of sustainable industries, this talk will leave you inspired, informed, and ready to step outside—with purpose.

As we discuss America’s racial reckoning alongside issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion, we shouldn't just think in terms of quotas or grievances. Instead, we should think about stories — the ones we tell ourselves about “us” and the ones we tell ourselves about “them.” Baratunde sees an opportunity to tell a story of “we” instead. This talk is inspired by his TED talk, but goes much further, offering a State of the Union from Baratunde’s perspective and prescriptions for a better future. Through his own story, examples from the real world, and the strategic integration of humor, Baratunde invites audiences to build businesses, organizations, and societies that recognize the value of us all.