The Times Tech Podcast

The race among top AI companies to build ever more powerful systems is accelerating, and so are fears about losing control. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is at the centre of the debate, which came to a head last week after the New Yorker released an investigation about him, and a series of attacks took place near his home. Danny Fortson and Katie Prescott discuss how we got here and why Altman is becoming the face of global anxiety about AI. Plus, Bobby Healy of Manna Air Delivery on robotic dogs and drones delivering coffee in Dublin. Would you use a drone for parcel delivery? Get in touch techpod@thetimes.co.uk Image: Getty Producer: Marnie Duke Executive Producer: Priyanka Deladia Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iran has been bombing US owned data centres in the Persian Gulf, damaging physical infrastructure and disrupting cloud services across the region. Meanwhile in the UK, the combined value of new data centres approved last year officially overtook office buildings. Katie Prescott and The Times's technology correspondent Mark Sellman look at how this critical infrastructure is reshaping energy, infrastructure and conflict around the world. They also hear from Lei Zhang, CEO of Envision, a Shanghai based green tech company who talks about energy security, trade wars and robot cities. Producer: Marnie Duke Executive Producer: Priyanka Deladia Image: Getty Images Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Should under-16s be banned from social media? After landmark US rulings against Meta and YouTube over addictive design features, pressure is building on Big Tech. Danny Fortson and Katie Prescott speak to online safety campaigner Baroness Kidron about whether this is tech’s 'Big Tobacco' moment, how the UK is tackling online safety, and what it means for children, including the growing risks of AI chatbots. Would you support a social media ban for teenagers? Get in touch: techpod@thetimes.co.uk Producer: Marnie Duke Executive Producer: Priyanka Deladia Image: Getty Images Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A new trend is emerging in Silicon Valley – engineers are using more and more of AI agents to do their jobs. At some companies like Meta, AI usage is reportedly being linked to performance. But it’s also fuelling a growing anxiety, if AI can do your job better and faster, where does that leave you? Danny Fortson and Katie Prescott discuss the paranoia currently consuming Silicon Valley, what this really means for the future of work and whether we’re heading toward a genuine AI jobs crisis. Plus, they speak to CEO of Forterro, Dean Forbes, on his remarkable story from homelessness to leading a top private software firm in Europe. Are you using AI agents to do your job? Get in touch: techpod@thetimes.co.uk Producer: Marnie Duke Executive Producer: Priyanka Deladia Image: Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Conan O’Brien joked at the Oscars that he might be the last human to host the Academy Awards. It got Danny and Katie thinking about AI's influence on the creative industry – from Hollywood, podcasting and beyond. They speak to Eline Van der Velden, the creator of AI actor Tilly Norwood, who argues that AI performers could be a more “ethical alternative” to traditional acting. So is AI empowering creators or replacing them? Image: AI generated/Tilly Norwood/Particle6 Clips: The Epstein Files, Tilly Norwood Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

British AI data-center company NScale has hit a $14.6 billion valuation after raising another $2 billion but its rapid rise is raising eyebrows. Danny Fortson and Katie Prescott examine the meteoric story of founder Josh Payne and the questions surrounding his business. They’re joined by Alice Bentinck, CEO of Entrepreneurs First, to discuss what it really takes to build the next generation of tech founders. Plus, Danny's been in court following a landmark trial in California that's seen Mark Zuckerberg grilled by lawyers and could prove to be a turning point for the multitrillion-dollar social media industry. Producer: Marnie Duke Executive Producer: Priyanka Deladia Get in touch: techpod@thetimes.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quantum computing has been called the next big technological revolution, potentially as transformative as AI. Governments are investing billions, banks are already experimenting with the technology, and startups are racing to turn decades of research into real-world systems. In this episode, originally from The Business, another podcast from The Times, James Palles-Dimmock from UK startup Quantum Motion talks about the race to scale quantum computing, how close we are to a real breakthrough, and whether the technology could change industries from finance to drug discovery. Presenters: Katie Prescott, Technology Business Editor, The Times Dominic O’Connell, columnist and business presenter, Times Radio Guest: James Palles-Dimmock, chief executive, Quantum Motion Producer: Miriam Hall Senior Producer: Julia Johnson Executive Producer: Kate Ford Photo credit: Getty Get in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An explosive fallout between AI giant Anthropic, OpenAI and the US Department of War has ignited a fierce debate in Silicon Valley about who gets to decide how artificial intelligence is used in defence. Former Pentagon adviser and founder of Primer.ai, Sean Gourley, joins Danny and Katie to explain how this technology is already embedded in military operations, and explore whether Silicon Valley bosses should get a say when it comes to national security. Is AI making war smarter or more dangerous? Clip: Bloomberg TV Producer: Marnie Duke Executive Producer: Priyanka Deladia Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do Nvidia’s latest results confirm a tech boom or signal the makings of a bubble? Danny Fortson and Katie Prescott ask how a once-niche graphics chipmaker ended up at the centre of global tech, geopolitics and the stock market. Author Stephen Witt joins them to explain Jensen Huang’s rise and the company’s extraordinary dominance. Guest: Stephen Witt, Author of The Thinking Machine: Jensen Huang, Nvidia, and the World's Most Coveted Microchip Image: Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of The Times Tech podcast is sponsored by PwC. Artificial intelligence is entering a new phase. It’s no longer just about chatbots generating text or analysing data. The next frontier is agentic AI systems that can coordinate tasks, make decisions and act with a degree of autonomy. In this sponsored bonus episode, brought to you by PwC, Katie Prescott speaks to Lilia Christoff, Partner for AI and Data at PwC, about what agentic AI really means in practice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As world leaders and tech bosses gather for India’s AI Impact Summit, Danny Fortson and Mark Sellman ask if these global summits are shaping AI or struggling to keep up with it? They also hear from Carina Prunkl, lead author of the new International AI Safety Report, about risks, jobs, autonomy and whether safeguards are keeping pace with technology. Plus, OpenAI snaps up viral agent OpenClaw. Image: Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nikola Mrksic, CEO of Nvidia-backed London startup PolyAI, joins Danny and Katie to talk about AI voice assistants transforming customer service. He explains why voice AI is finally working, how PolyAI handles real-world calls and real-world accents, and what happens to jobs when bots can do the work of thousands. Plus, the ‘SaaSpocalypse’ – the $1 trillion sell-off that signals investors may finally believe AI is eating software. Photo: PolyAI Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s episode is from The Business – The Times’ flagship podcasts covering business, finance and the economy. Octopus Energy has gone from market entrant to market leader in just 10 years. Greg Jackson, chief executive and co-founder is at the forefront of this business success story. The secret sauce? It’s nothing to do with energy - it’s the Kraken software that links the company to its customers and suppliers. So how did he do it? Why does he think 'spaghetti stacks' of ancient software are what’s holding so many businesses back? And what plans does he have to float Kraken? From memories of his failed career as a game designer, why corporate life can be addictive - and why he thinks business leaders should be optimistic in a challenging world, Dom and Katie hear his lessons from the frontline. Presenters: Guest: Producer: Miriam Hall Senior Producer: Julia Johnson Executive Producer: Kate Ford Get in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A new open-source AI agent called OpenClaw has set Silicon Valley buzzing and with a single line of code, anyone can use it. Does this free tool threaten the AI business models behind trillion-dollar Big Tech IPOs, and could it signal a looming AI bubble? Plus, Danny Fortson and Katie Prescott also speak to Jurgi Camblong, founder and CEO of SOPHiA Genetics, about how AI is already being used in hospitals to decode complex medical data and transform cancer diagnosis and care. Photo: Getty Clip: @AlexFinn on X.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are we heading for the next ChatGPT moment? Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, has sparked debate about the growth of AI and its acceleration into a risky new phase. But is it real danger or Silicon Valley hype? Danny Fortson and Katie Prescott are joined by Barney Hussey-Yeo, CEO of UK fintech Cleo, on what it’s actually like building with AI right now and whether society is ready for the next turning point. Plus, the backlash over tech CEOs cozying up to US President Donald Trump amid anger over his immigration crackdown. Image: Cleo Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

World leaders in Davos are talking about 'tech sovereignty', but can Europe or the UK really achieve digital autonomy when so much of the AI and cloud infrastructure is controlled by a handful of US firms? Danny and Katie talk to Hany Farid about the geopolitics of tech, and the fear of an 'AI kill switch' - is this scaremongering or a real concern? Guest: Hany Farid, UC Berkeley professor and Co‑Founder & Chief Science Officer at GetReal Security. Image: Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when AI gets it wrong? After a backlash over the misuse of Elon Musk’s AI tool Grok, new restrictions have been imposed on editing images of real people. Is this a sign that AI regulation is lagging, and who should be in charge – governments or Silicon Valley? This week, Danny and Katie are joined by AI computer scientist Kate Devlin from King’s College London to discuss why this moment could be a turning point for global AI rules. Image: Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What will tech look like in 2026 and are we heading for an AI bubble, or a boom? To gaze into the crystal ball for the year ahead, Katie and Danny speak to VCs Hannah Seal from Index Ventures and Jon Callaghan of True Ventures in Silicon Valley, and get them to make their predictions for the year ahead and the innovations to watch out for – AI solving healthcare? Robots replacing brickies? Image: Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Continuing our big name-dropping look-back with Sam Altman, Lisa Su, Sebastian Siemiatkowski, Satya Nadella, Matthew Prince, Arthur Mensch, Sir Demis Hassabis, Marc Benioff, and Dario Amodei, this is the second special Christmas edition of the pod – and this time we’re looking at what we’ve learned about the impact of AI on the real world since the Tech Pod started in October 2024 with DeepMind's Sir Demis Hassabis. From robotaxis to listening pendants: what does AI look like in real life? How is it being used in business? And will there be any jobs left? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the biggest, most shameless holiday name-drop of the year, Katie and Danny bring you – in no particular order – insights from Sam Altman of OpenAI, AMD’s Lisa Su, Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski, Satya Nadella from Microsoft, Matthew Prince of Cloudflare, Arthur Mensch of Mistral AI, Sir Demis Hassabis of Google DeepMind, Marc Benioff from Salesforce, and Anthropic’s Dario Amodei. A whole smattering of billionaires, with a Nobel laureate mixed in too. So, what have they all told us about the AI rollout and what it really means? This is the first of a two-part Christmas extravaganza, where we look back at the world of AI covered on the pod with more than a year's worth of big-tech leaders returning to help us distinguish the potential of AI from the reality. (Just don’t mention the B-word!) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.