Tech Life discovers and explains the ways technology is changing our lives, wherever we are in the world. We meet the people with bright ideas for rethinking the way we work, learn and play, and get hands-on with the products they dream up. We hold tech giants to account for their huge power to affect our lives, and ask who wins, and who loses, in the technology transformation. Tech Life is your guide to a future being made, and remade, at lightning speed in front of our eyes.
Latest episodes
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26 min ↗
Beyond silicon chips
Shiona McCallum visits a semiconductor plant making super-thin and flexible chips. Canada's AI Minister talks to the BBC. And drone tech is monitoring fire-damaged landscapes. You…
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26 min ↗
Virtual data centres in space
Where should data centres be built? We talk to an entrepreneur hoping to build a virtual data centre in space, by using computing power that's already up there - in satellites.Also…
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26 min ↗
Inside a supercomputer: A Tech Life special
What exactly is a supercomputer for? How does it work? And who gets to use it? Tech Life spends the day at the UK’s national supercomputer to get the answers. We get a rare tour of…
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27 min ↗
How an AI was tricked into breaking its own rules
Security researchers have got an AI model to break its own rules and give advice on terrorist attacks and assassinations. They talk to Tech Life about their findings. Plus, indie g…
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26 min ↗
Gauging China's AI strength
How far has China come in developing AI technology? And what challenges does it face? An expert helps us understand the thinking in Beijing.Also this week: what can fifty thousand…
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26 min ↗
Growing up in the age of AI
AI is developing rapidly. What should parents and children make of it all? And how can young people navigate school and future careers when AI is becoming increasingly important? W…
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26 min ↗
The copyright extortionists
Lots of people make a living from social media posts. But some have been targeted by an international extortion scheme. It involves a flood of false copyright infringement claims.…
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26 min ↗
What if AI doesn’t speak your language?
English is the most widely-used language online. Internet material helps to train AI tools. So where does that leave people whose native language barely features on the web? We fin…
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26 min ↗
Unlocking tech breakthroughs
ARIA is the UK's research and development funding agency that's built to unlock new scientific and technological developments. We speak to ARIA's new boss about their work.Also thi…
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26 min ↗
Can AI tackle aviation’s climate problem?
Cloudy lines in the sky, caused by aircraft engines, are called contrails. They're harmful to the environment. Now a project is underway, using AI, to reduce the amount generated.…
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27 min ↗
School deepfake ransoms
For many schools, it’s normal to post pictures of their own pupils online, either celebrating events or for marketing. But these photos could also be taken by criminals and used to…
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26 min ↗
The future of flying?
The transition from petrol to electric cars is well underway. But why are most aircraft in the skies still burning jet fuel? We look at new developments in electric aviation. Also…
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26 min ↗
Understanding AI Agents
AI agents carry out tasks autonomously on behalf of users. But what are they capable of, and what do we need to know about them? With AI agents in the news, we speak to an expert.A…
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26 min ↗
Smell the future
The nose of a dog is incredibly sensitive. And odour contains information. With the help of AI, electronic 'noses' are being used to sniff out complex odours, including diseases. C…
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26 min ↗
Meet the humanoid robots performing surgery
Humanoid robots have successfully performed surgery in an operating theatre for the first time. They were remotely controlled by surgeons. An expert involved talks to Tech Life.Als…
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26 min ↗
Too young to scroll?
What is a good age to give a child a smartphone? A community in Ireland might have the answer. In Greystones there's a voluntary agreement to wait until secondary school age. We he…
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26 min ↗
What happens when health information is shadow banned?
We look at an issue known as shadow banning. What is it? How does it work? And could it be affecting health education messages for women and young girls?Also this week: we're feeli…
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26 min ↗
Viva technology!
Shiona McCallum visits a huge technology show in Paris. There, she finds some of the latest kit that could be in your home or workplace before too long. And we're talking about dat…
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27 min ↗
ChatGPT prompt generates disturbing images
A group of cybersecurity researchers found a prompt which gets past ChatGPT’s guardrails and causes it to generate some disturbing images. We unpack what this tells us about the wa…
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26 min ↗
Tackling lithium battery fires on planes
When we fly we love to take our gadgets with us. But the lithium batteries that power them can catch fire. We find out about a new campaign urging us to pack with safety in mind.Al…