Tech Life

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 make distressing deepfake AI images. We speak to the founder of a company which says it has a solution. Also on the programme, the incredible ways graphene can augment our senses – including to smell for diseases. And the student with dyslex...

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 this week: keeping children safe online - a leading international child charity talks to Tech Life.

Presenter: Shiona McCallum Producer: Tom Quinn

(Photo: An all-electric CX300 aircraft from BETA Technologies takes part in a demonstration flight in Scotland...

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.

Also this week: can AI make the process of recruiting employees better? And we find out about the campaign to teach AI how to represent people with limb loss.

Presenter: Chris Vallance Producer: Tom Quinn

(Image: In the foreground, a hand holds a smartphone....

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. Chris Vallance visits a company developing the technology.

Also this week: Shiona McCallum is in Paris to see the tech that can help us understand sleep. And Liv McMahon accompanies Chris on a walk in a park. There, they try one of many bird identification ...

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.

Also this week: the man who invented the infinite scroll tells us his latest thoughts on social media. And how do you stop big cargo ships pumping greenhouse gases into the air, as they move our goods around the world? We hear about a carbon capture solution...

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 hear from the school principal who leads the "It Takes A Village" initiative, and a local parent.

Also this week: a woman tells Shiona McCallum how surviving a late-night attack inspired her to develop a wearable safety device. And AI was let loose to run a ...

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 feeling nostalgic about the discs that hold our favourite video games. And Shiona McCallum speaks to the founder of the Global Gaming League.

Presenter: Shiona McCallum Producer: Tom Quinn

(Photo: A young sports woman relaxes after a workout. She is lying on a y...

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 data centres. They are central to our modern online lives. But not everyone thinks they are great. Shiona speaks to the head of a big global data centre company about some of the challenges facing the industry.

Presenter: Shiona McCallum Producer: Tom Quinn

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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 way AI is trained, and how it could be exploited. Also on the show, after a recent episode about potholes, we were contacted by the UK’s ministry of transport. We speak to their chief scientific adviser about potholes and the future of transport...

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.

Also this week: the BBC's Lily Jamali visits an international competition for new AI applications in San Francisco. And protecting Africa's endangered wildlife is an increasingly high-tech business - a new scheme aims to give conservation workers the latest...

Microsoft unveils a new quantum chip. It's a big moment for the company, as its quantum programme has faced criticism. Is the tech giant's strategy finally paying off? And when will this chip deliver practical quantum computing? The BBC's Technology Editor, Zoe Kleinman, interviews Microsoft's executive vice president for quantum.

Also this week: what new tech can soccer fans expect at the World Cup? Shiona McCallum reports from FIF...

We speak to Google about the introduction of artificial intelligence into classroom learning, and what they think this will mean for teachers and pupils.

Also this week: Shiona McCallum reports on a new artificial limb which is making a big difference to the life of one man who has a very personal story to tell. And find out about the engineering technology that's being used to check the heart health of unborn babies as they grow in...

From fears that a powerful new AI could supercharge hacking, to the ransomware gangs holding our data hostage, we talk to a former FBI expert about the latest cyber threats.

Also in Tech Life this week: we hear from a listener who is using dermatology tech to educate schoolchildren on the importance of staying safe in the sun. Presenter: Chris Vallance Producer: Tom Quinn

(Photo: Numerous computer screens are displaying green-colou...

Drivers and cyclists know the dangers of potholes and broken road signs. A Swedish company is fitting vehicles with cameras, and using AI to spot potential problems and defects. We speak to the CEO to find out how it works.

Also in Tech Life this week: some think the internet's business model is obsolete. We talk to a big tech leader on what might replace it. And a young entrepreneur, who learned to code without a computer, tells us...

An anti-snoring device is being trialled as a potential solution to sleep apnoea, a condition which affects millions and can have wide-ranging consequences on daily life. We speak to the team behind the trial. Also on the programme, two health tech entrepreneurs whose personal experiences informed their products: A man who had a heart attack at 44 and now works to help reduce hospital recovery times, and a woman who lost a close f...

We look at revelations about outsourced tech workers in Kenya, and try to find out why more than a thousand of them have been made redundant.

Also this week: are you getting the best out of artificial intelligence? Could changing "how" you communicate with AI make a difference? We speak to an author and put his recommendations to an AI test. And we hear from a company turning lamp-posts into data centres.

Presenter: Chris Vallance Pr...

Pam Cronrath tells her deeply personal story of creating a lifelike speaking hologram of her husband, Bill, after he passed away. Pam wanted to honour a promise she'd made to Bill, for a "super wake". And so Bill's hologram appeared in front of two hundred guests at the event, and surprised them with a verbal greeting.

Also this week: if you've had a knee operation and have a smart device monitoring your health, the doctor might wan...

Chris Vallance finds out about research to help self-driving cars communicate with other road users. Hear what happened when he came into contact with a virtual vehicle!

Also this week: you've probably seen the app on TV news recently, but how does MarineTraffic know which ships are doing what in the Strait of Hormuz? And Shiona McCallum checks out changes to Roblox age checks for children.

Presenter: Chris Vallance Producer: Tom Qui...

Can we trust AI? Its answers are not always correct. And it only knows what it's been trained on, so some of its responses can contain bias. Tech experts offer us some solutions.

Also this week: digital twinning is helping the restoration of a three hundred year old palace. And the joy of mundane video gaming!

Presenter: Shiona McCallum Producer: Tom Quinn

(Image: A person is typing on a laptop computer. Digital icons for AI, ticks (...