The AI Revolution is Here. Now What? | Breaking the Deadlock | Full Episode | PBS - October 28, 2026 -
Official website: https://to.pbs.org/3ZsIPN5 | #DeadlockPBSWhat happens when technology advances faster than the rules governing it?
As AI becomes increasingly embedded in our daily lives, Americans will face a fundamental question: will we control the technology, or will it control us? Can its transformative benefits outweigh the risks to jobs, privacy, democracy, and even our humanity? Through a series of hypothetical dilemmas, prominent voices from technology, culture, politics, and journalism debate the ethical challenges posed by AI and search for common understanding about the profound stakes of a rapidly evolving technology.
This program was recorded live at The New York Historical Society. Learn more at www.nyhistory.org
Funding for BREAKING the DEADLOCK was made possible in part by PBS viewers.
Panelists:
Campbell Brown, Co-founder and CEO, Forum AI
Astead W. Herndon, Host and Educational Director, Vox.com
Joe Manchin III, Former US Senator, West Virginia
Sara Nelson, International President, Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO
Michael Novogratz, CEO / Founder, Galaxy
Hon. Gina Ortiz Jones, Mayor of San Antonio
Max Tegmark, MIT Professor, Founder and Chair of Future of Life Institute
Josh Tyrangiel, Staff Writer, The Atlantic
For bios of the panelists, please visit
https://www.pbs.org/show/deadlock/
CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
01:09 When AI Moves Next Door
04:51 AI's Expanding Influence: Policing and the Press
9:58 A Town Divided Over AI
17:32 An AI Agent Goes Rogue
27:40 When AI Comes for Your Job
35:53 When Your Child Trusts AI
40:24 Should We Pause AI?
49:12 AI and the Next Decade
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Breaking the Deadlock
UC Davis Law Professor Aaron Tang, guides a diverse panel of participants through hypothetical scenarios sparking bold, civil debate on America’s toughest issues.










