AI as a Mirror: What We Risk Losing If We Stop Asking ‘Why’ | Mihai Anton | TEDxBrașov

In this TEDxTalk, Mihai Anton opens with a live deepfake demo to show how thin the line between human and artificial reality has become in the age of AI. Using the metaphors of Lego bricks and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, he explains why AI excels at optimization and prediction inside the ‘circle’ of existing data, but cannot step outside that circle to imagine something truly new.
Mihai argues that meaning, purpose and the courage to take risks remain fundamentally human, and that technology is only valuable when it serves clear questions: ‘Why are we doing this?’ and ‘What is the mountain we actually want to climb?’. He closes with three simple invitations for staying real in an AI-driven world: go to the mountains, play more, and remember to ask ‘why’ in time. Mihai Anton is an applied artificial intelligence specialist with experience in AI and data science projects and a background that combines technology research with communicating complex ideas in simple language. He works at the intersection of algorithms and people, helping leaders, teams and wider audiences understand what today’s AI can – and cannot – do, and how we can stay authentic in a world full of simulations. Mihai currently explores how to use AI as a tool without giving up courage, imagination, and the questions that give our work and lives meaning. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx