
Advertise on podcast: Tech Life
Rating
4.4from
This podcast has
377 episodes
Language
EnglishPublisher
BBC World ServiceExplicit
No
Date created
2014/01/20
Latest episode
2026/10/06
Average duration
27 min.
Release period
7 days
Description
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.
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Check latest episodes from Tech Life podcast
Inside a supercomputer: A Tech Life special
2026/10/06
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 one of the most powerful computers in the country, and speak to scientists who have access to the computer about how it helps them with their research.
(Photo: The inside of a supercomputer blade, with circuit boards, copper processors and memory sticks inside)
Producer/presenter: Imran Rahman-Jones
How an AI was tricked into breaking its own rules
2026/09/29
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 game developer Jonathan Blow on why he spent 10 years inventing his own coding language and game engine for his newest release. And Shiona McCallum takes us through the latest in birth tech.
Presenter: Chris Vallance
Producer: Imran Rahman-Jones
(Image: An illustration of a brain with “AI” written on it, underneath a birdcage. Credit: Getty Images.)
Gauging China's AI strength
2026/09/22
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 autonomous machines tell us about the future of robotics? And cutting edge tech helps cricket reach new audiences.
Presenter: Chris Vallance
Producer: Tom Quinn
(Image: An illustration of the Chinese flag over electronic circuitry. Credit: Getty Images)
Growing up in the age of AI
2026/09/15
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? We speak to an expert who has written a new book about these issues.
Also this week: we find out how one piece of health tech is helping scientists uncover disease-fighting data in menstrual blood. And satellite imaging is used by conservationists in Indonesia to protect the habitat of a rare species of orangutan.
Presenter: Shiona McCallum
Producer: Tom Quinn
(Photo: A female school pupil sits at a laptop in a computer lab. She is wearing headphones. Credit: Getty Images)
The copyright extortionists
2026/09/08
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. It only stops if the extorter is paid. Imran Rahman-Jones has the story.
Also this week: could AI help to spot wrong-way driving on Ireland's major roads? And we bring you the latest titles and tech on show at Gamescom in Germany.
Presenter: Chris Vallance
Producer: Tom Quinn
(Image: Silhouettes of mobile phone users are seen next to a screen projection of Instagram's logo. Credit: Reuters)
What if AI doesn’t speak your language?
2026/09/01
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 find out about a project helping AI to work in more of the world’s languages.
Also this week: regulating tech might sound about as appealing as a trip to the dentist. But, like your check-up, it is important. With Europe and the United States taking different approaches, we’ll ask who gets to set the rules, and what that means for the rest of us. And there’s a growing range of technology aimed at older people. We’ll look at some of the products out there, and ask how useful they really are.
Presenter: Shiona McCallum
Producer: Tom Quinn
(Photo: A young woman holds a smartphone to her mouth while sitting at a table. She is using a smartphone AI voice assistant. Credit: Getty Images)
Unlocking tech breakthroughs
2026/08/25
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 this week: the tech that's helping disabled racing drivers to achieve their dreams. And the pros and cons of making AI-generated complaints.
Presenter: Chris Vallance
Producer: Tom Quinn
(Image: An illustration of a light bulb, representing creative thoughts and ideas. Two human hands attempt to grasp the image. Credit: Getty Images)
Can AI tackle aviation’s climate problem?
2026/08/18
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. It's called Operation Blue Skies, and we speak to Google about their involvement.
Also this week: we look at three very different approaches taken by manufacturers to help children and adults have a healthy relationship with mobile phones. And AI detectors - how do they work?
Presenter: Shiona McCallum
Producer: Tom Quinn
(Photo: A large four engine passenger jet flies at high altitude. The sky is blue, and the jet engines are emitting white cloudy trails, known as contrails. Credit: Getty Images)
School deepfake ransoms
2026/08/11
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 dyslexia who invented his own tech to help him through his course.
Presenter: Chris Vallance
Producer: Imran Rahman-Jones
(Image: A child places a metal pin impression toy over their face, so they cannot be identified. Credit: Getty Images)
The future of flying?
2026/08/04
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. It is a small white aircraft, flying at low altitude. The propeller can be seen at the rear of the fuselage. Credit: Loganair/BETA Technologies)
Understanding AI Agents
2026/07/28
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 screen displays an AI Agent, with various task options available. The background is blurry and coloured blue. Credit: Getty Images)
Smell the future
2026/07/21
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 apps that are proving a hit, especially with younger users.
Presenter: Chris Vallance
Producer: Tom Quinn
(Image: A photo of a cute mixed breed dog with black fur. It is sitting down, looking up at the camera. Its nose is prominent in the foreground. Credit: Getty Images)
Meet the humanoid robots performing surgery
2026/07/14
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.
Presenter: Shiona McCallum
Producer: Tom Quinn
(Photo: Two human-shaped robots stand holding equipment, and perform surgery in an operating theatre. Credit: University of California San Diego)
Too young to scroll?
2026/07/07
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 cafe in Sweden. Find out what happened next.
Presenter: Shiona McCallum
Producer: Tom Quinn
(Photo: A small group of boys and girls look at their smartphones. Credit: Getty Images)
What happens when health information is shadow banned?
2026/06/30
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 yoga mat, looking at her smartphone. Credit: Getty Images)
Podcast reviews
Read Tech Life podcast reviews
mentesalertas 2026/07/29
Ads are too loud
Don’t mind ads but don’t understand why the volume increase when ads play , instead of just listening to the ads I skip them because of the annoyance....
(Mario500) 2022/12/23
A Review of "Tech Tent"
I had found what I had believed to had been certain recordings and certain broadcasts of what I had believed to had been this "Tech Tent" to had been ...
SAARKÉSH 2022/07/16
Twitter matters
Too much hype over a messaging platform which has been primarily used for manipulation of markets & market players including Mr Musk!
He needs it as a...
Mantis79 2020/10/13
Good, but another biased BBC podcast
I enjoy listening, but you have to try to not pay attention to the obvious bias against anything conservative, the spin is real.
armanbn 2020/03/02
Not better than a superficial chit chat
Since years I’ve been listening to the Tech Tent podcast from the BBC. I have just unsubscribed from this podcast after the last episode, because for ...
Solitaire Gal 2017/09/30
Five Star Tech News
The BBC’s Tech Tent never ceases to amaze me! Regular corners and unfamiliar nooks and crannies are discussed each week! Excellent diversity, covering...
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