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FT Tech Tonic

Financial Times

We are in the midst of a digital revolution, where the line between our physical world and cyberspace is blurring. Tech Tonic is the show that investigates the promises and perils of this new technological age. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Location:

United States

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We are in the midst of a digital revolution, where the line between our physical world and cyberspace is blurring. Tech Tonic is the show that investigates the promises and perils of this new technological age. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Language:

English


Episodes
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The geopolitics of chips: A manufacturing miracle

11/19/2024
Semiconductors are one of the most complex and technically difficult pieces of hardware to make in the world – which is why they’ve become a flashpoint for tensions between the US and China. For years, semiconductor technology has advanced at a breakneck pace - but there are signs that this might be slowing down. What will that mean for the global fight for chips? The FT’s longtime China correspondent James Kynge travels to the Netherlands to see ASML’s extreme ultraviolet lithography system, one of the most complex machines on the planet. Plus, we hear from the man at Intel charged with keeping Moore’s Law going, and from Chris Miller, author of Chip War: The Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology. Presented by James Kynge. Edwin Lane is the senior producer. The producer is Josh Gabert-Doyon. Executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design by Joseph Salcedo and Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. Special thanks to Tim Bradshaw. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:31:10

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The geopolitics of chips: Chips in the USA

11/12/2024
The next superpower will be a tech superpower, and to be that superpower you need to have some control over the semiconductor industry which is driving the AI revolution. But almost all advanced semiconductors are made in Taiwan — and it is under constant threat of a Chinese invasion. President Joe Biden’s Chips Act promises lavish subsidies to companies working to bring semiconductor manufacturing back to US soil. Will those subsidies survive once Donald Trump, the president-elect, is in the White House? The FT’s James Kynge, is in Phoenix, Arizona, the former heartland of American chip manufacturing. He speaks to those trying to revive the US chipmaking industry. Presented by James Kynge. Edwin Lane is the senior producer. The producer is Josh Gabert-Doyon. Executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design by Breen Turner and Samantha Giovinco, with original music from Metaphor Music. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. Special thanks to Tim Bradshaw. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:27:08

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Coming soon: The fight for the future of chips

11/7/2024
There's a battle going on for control of the global semiconductor industry – the chips that are in virtually every piece of electronics we use from our phones to our cars to the latest AI software. For the past half century, chips have quietly powered the technological revolution. In this series, James Kynge goes deep into the miracle of modern chip manufacturing and the struggle over who commands its future. Presented by James Kynge. Edwin Lane is the senior producer. The producer is Josh Gabert-Doyon. Executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design by Breen Turner and Samantha Giovinco, with original music from Metaphor Music. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. Special thanks to Tim Bradshaw. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:01:04

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The Telegram case: Privacy vs security

9/10/2024
What are the limits of privacy when it comes to our online lives? If authorities are investigating a crime, should they be able to access private messages sent between two individuals? In this episode of Tech Tonic, John Thornhill interviews Eva Galperin, director of cybersecurity at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which campaigns for the right to digital privacy. After the detention of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov for failing to cooperate with French authorities, they discuss encryption technology and what sort of messaging data companies do share with governments. Want more? How France embraced Telegram’s Pavel Durov – before turning on him Pavel Durov, Telegram’s self-mythologising founder How Telegram chief Pavel Durov miscalculated on moderation Emmanuel Macron hits back at claims Telegram chief’s arrest is political The Durov case is not about free speech Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:27:50

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The Telegram case: Pavel Durov

9/3/2024
The FT’s Innovation editor John Thornhill and San Francisco tech correspondent Hannah Murphy have in the past both met and interviewed Pavel Durov, the secretive founder of Telegram who was arrested in France for alleged failure to address criminality on the messaging app. In the first episode of a two-part series, they discuss how Durov went from free speech hero to a wanted man, and what the charges against him mean for the future of Telegram – and Big Tech – and the limits of free speech. Does his arrest flag a turning point in the regulation of social media platforms? Want more? Pavel Durov, Telegram’s self-mythologising founder How Telegram chief Pavel Durov miscalculated on moderation Emmanuel Macron hits back at claims Telegram chief’s arrest is political The Durov case is not about free speech Russian lawmakers hit back at arrest of Telegram chief Pavel Durov in France This episode of Tech Tonic is presented by John Thornhill and Hannah Murphy. The producer is Persis Love. Edwin Lane is senior producer. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound engineering by Breen Turner. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:34:52

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The trouble with deepfakes: Beyond control?

8/29/2024
Anita was scrolling on Twitter when she found someone had made deepfake porn of her, without her permission. But that was just the start of her problems; she found it was difficult and expensive to get the deepfakes taken down and nigh-on impossible to prevent their proliferation online. So, what guardrails can regulators and tech companies put in place to prevent the spread of deepfakes and protect those whose likeness has been stolen without their consent? Technological fixes, such as deepfake detection software and deepfake watermarking exist, but can the technology keep up with the ever-improving capacities of generative AI? Host Hannah Murphy speaks to Hany Farid, digital forensics expert at the University of California, Berkeley; Nina Schick, CEO and founder of Tamang Ventures, author and Qlik AI Council member; and Sweet Anita, Twitch streamer. Tell us what you think of Tech Tonic and you could be in with a chance to win a pair of Bose QuietComfort 35 Wireless Headphones. Complete the survey here. Want more? Google upgrades search in drive to tackle deepfake porn India tells tech giants to police deepfakes under ‘explicit’ rules Political deepfakes top list of malicious AI use, DeepMind finds Clips: sweet_anita Twitch This series of Tech Tonic is presented by Hannah Murphy. The producer is Persis Love. The senior producer is Edwin Lane. Our executive producer Manuela Saragosa. Additional production help from Josh Gabert-Doyon. Sound design by Breen Turner and Samantha Giovinco. Original music by Metaphor Music. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:22:44

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The trouble with deepfakes: Liar’s dividend

8/22/2024
A new breed of AI generated fake pictures, videos and audio clips is spreading across the internet - content anyone with an internet connection can generate. And some of these deepfakes are now so convincing that even experts struggle to tell the difference between what’s real and what has been created using artificial intelligence. In a new series, Hannah Murphy, the FT’s tech reporter in San Francisco, examines the potential of deepfakes to cause chaos and asks how worried we should be and what’s being done to combat their proliferation. In the first of this two-part series she hears from Kimberly Ton Mai, AI researcher at University College, London; Hany Farid, digital forensics expert at the University of California, Berkeley; and Paul Carpenter, magician and hypnotist. Tell us what you think of Tech Tonic and you could be in with a chance to win a pair of Bose QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones. Complete the survey here. Want more? Audio deepfakes emerge as weapon of choice in election disinformation The rising threat to democracy of AI-powered disinformation The FT View: Deepfakes and disinformation The danger of deepfakes is not what you think Clips: Fox News, AP, @mentallyhyp TikTok, The Telegraph, The Guardian, France 24 English, Sky News This series of Tech Tonic is presented by Hannah Murphy. The producer is Persis Love. The senior producer is Edwin Lane. Executive producer Manuela Saragosa. Additional production help from Josh Gabert-Doyon. Sound design by Breen Turner and Samantha Giovinco. Original music by Metaphor Music. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:25:56

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China's race to tech supremacy: New frontiers

6/18/2024
China is pushing the frontiers of scientific research, launching missions to the Moon and exploring the remotest places on Earth. It’s part of China’s grand plan to be the world leader in science and technology. But why are science and tech so important to Beijing, and is China’s rise as the next tech superpower inevitable? James Kynge concludes this season of Tech Tonic with Eleanor Olcott, the FT’s China tech correspondent, Matthew Funaiole from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Matt Sheehan from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Yasheng Huang, professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Clips: BBC News, Sky News Australia, DW News Presented by James Kynge. Edwin Lane is the senior producer. The producer is Josh Gabert-Doyon. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design by Breen Turner and Samantha Giovinco, with original music from Metaphor Music. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:30:43

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China's race to tech supremacy: Chatbots & chips

6/11/2024
Since the emergence of chatbots like ChatGPT, China has made building its own advanced AI a priority. But to build AI it needs the most advanced computer chips, and the US has banned companies from selling them to China. The FT’s James Kynge visits China to find out how the country is turning to smuggling to get its hands on high-end chips for AI research. And he visits Chinese tech giant Huawei — one of the companies at the vanguard of China’s efforts to start making its own advanced AI chips. Presented by James Kynge. Edwin Lane is the senior producer. The producer is Josh Gabert-Doyon. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design by Breen Turner and Samantha Giovinco, with original music from Metaphor Music. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:26:37

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China’s race to tech supremacy: Robot generation

6/4/2024
In China, you can find robots serving food in restaurants, delivering room service in hotels, and cleaning floors in office buildings. But it’s in factories where China wants robots to make the biggest difference. China’s population is starting to shrink. With the number of workers set to plummet, will robots be able to fill the gap? The FT’s James Kynge visits Chinese robot makers in Shenzhen, and speaks to demography expert Wang Feng about the scale of the demographic challenge facing China today. Presented by James Kynge. Edwin Lane is the senior producer. The producer is Josh Gabert-Doyon. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design by Breen Turner and Samantha Giovinco, with original music from Metaphor Music. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:26:25

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Introducing Untold: Power for Sale

5/30/2024
Introducing Power for Sale, a new season of Untold from the Financial Times. In Untold: Power for Sale, host Valentina Pop and a team of FT correspondents from all over Europe investigate what happened in the Qatargate scandal, where EU lawmakers were accused of accepting payments from Qatar to whitewash its image. Subscribe and listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:02:25

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China's race to tech supremacy: Embracing Africa

5/28/2024
In this episode, long-time FT China correspondent James Kynge travels to Lagos to hear about the success of Chinese-backed companies in Nigeria – and some of the looming concerns. We hear about Transsion, a massive Chinese mobile phone company that perfected its business model in the street markets of Nigeria, and the Chinese-owned online lending apps that are facing scrutiny from regulators. James speaks to Yang Wang, senior analyst at Counterpoint Research, Babatunde Irukera, former director-general of Nigeria’s Consumer Protection Council, Adedeji Olowe, board chair at Paystack, and Moses Nmor, co-founder of BFREE Africa. Presented by James Kynge. Edwin Lane is the senior producer. The producer is Josh Gabert-Doyon. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design by Breen Turner and Samantha Giovinco, with original music from Metaphor Music. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:29:37

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China's race to tech supremacy: Driving into Europe

5/21/2024
China’s BYD has become one of the world’s largest electric vehicle manufacturers, thanks to its low production costs. The US has slapped a 100% tariff on Chinese EV imports to protect its own sector but BYD has its sights set on Europe. The FT’s James Kynge reports from Germany to find out what established European carmakers make of this burgeoning competition, and how the EU is handling it. We hear from the FT’s June Yoon, automobile analyst Stefan Bratzel, European Commission spokesperson for trade Olof Gill, and Manuel Kallweit, chief economist at German car lobby group VDA. Presented by James Kynge. Edwin Lane is the senior producer. The producer is Josh Gabert-Doyon. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design by Breen Turner and Samantha Giovinco, with original music from Metaphor Music. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. Clips: Bloomberg, CNBC, DW Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:25:21

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China's race to tech supremacy: Shenzhen speed

5/14/2024
How did China go from tech imitator to innovator? The FT’s James Kynge reports from Shenzhen, known as China’s Silicon Valley, where he explores the city’s vast electronics markets with inventor Noah Zerkin, an American who’s based himself in China, visits robot start-up Youibot and hears from DJI about how it became the world’s biggest drone manufacturer. Plus, Matt Sheehan, a China watcher focused on technology at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Qi Zhou, a venture capitalist based in Shenzhen, explain why China’s tech success stories are turning established narratives on democratic freedoms and innovation on their head. Presented by James Kynge. Edwin Lane is the senior producer. The producer is Josh Gabert-Doyon. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design by Breen Turner and Samantha Giovinco, with original music from Metaphor Music. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:26:16

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Coming soon: China, the new tech superpower

5/7/2024
In a new season of Tech Tonic, longtime FT China reporter James Kynge travels around the world to see how China is pushing towards tech supremacy. Will China be able to get an edge in crucial technological areas? What does China’s attempt to leapfrog the west look like on the ground? A six-part series looking at China’s tech industry. Presented by James Kynge. Edwin Lane is the senior producer. The producer is Josh Gabert-Doyon. Executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design by Breen Turner and Samantha Giovinco, with original music from Metaphor Music. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:01:07

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Introducing: Swamp Notes from The FT News Briefing

2/5/2024
If you have questions about this year's US presidential election, we have answers. Swamp Notes is a new podcast from the FT News Briefing. Listen every Saturday morning as our journalists analyse and discuss the latest happenings in US politics. We’ll go beyond the horse race for the White House and offer a global perspective on the election. You can subscribe to Swamp Notes here or wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:01:11

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Introducing Untold: The Retreat

1/12/2024
Introducing Untold, a new podcast from the special investigations team at the Financial Times. In its first series, The Retreat, host Madison Marriage examines the world of the Goenka network, which promotes a type of intensive meditation known as Vipassana. Thousands of people go on Goenka retreats every year. People rave about them. But some people go to these meditation retreats, and they suffer. They might feel a deep sense of terror, or a break with reality. And on the other side, they’re not themselves anymore. Untold: The Retreat launches Jan. 24. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:01:57

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Superintelligent AI: Conscious Machines

12/12/2023
As the race to human-level AI accelerates, researchers are increasingly confronted with the question of what it would mean to develop conscious AI. Will sentience emerge naturally from powerfully intelligent artificial systems? Or is consciousness incompatible with disembodied AI? As some human users become more attached to romantic chatbots, will the moral questions surrounding conscious AI become more pressing? In the final episode of our series on artificial general intelligence, the FT’s John Thornhill and Madhumita Murgia speak to Eugenia Kuyda, founder and chief executive of Replika, Anil Seth, ​​professor of cognitive and computational neuroscience at the University of Sussex, and Henry Shevlin, director of the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence at the University of Cambridge. Clips: TalkTV Links: Blake Lemoine transcript Sci-fi writer Ted Chiang: ‘The machines we have now are not conscious’ Google places engineer on leave after he claims group’s chatbot is ‘sentient’ The golden age of AI-generated art is here. It’s going to get weird EU agrees landmark rules on artificial intelligence Tech Tonic is presented by Madhumita Murgia and John Thornhill. Senior producer is Edwin Lane and the producer is Josh Gabert-Doyon. Executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design by Breen Turner and Samantha Giovinco. Original music by Metaphor Music. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:26:27

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Superintelligent AI: Conscious Machines

12/12/2023
As the race to human-level AI accelerates, researchers are increasingly confronted with the question of what it would mean to develop conscious AI. Will sentience emerge naturally from powerfully intelligent artificial systems? Or is consciousness incompatible with disembodied AI? As some human users become more attached to romantic chatbots, will the moral questions surrounding conscious AI become more pressing? In the final episode of our series on artificial general intelligence, the FT’s John Thornhill and Madhumita Murgia speak to Eugenia Kuyda, founder and chief executive of Replika, Anil Seth, ​​professor of cognitive and computational neuroscience at the University of Sussex, and Henry Shevlin, director of the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence at the University of Cambridge. Clips: TalkTV Links: Blake Lemoine transcript Sci-fi writer Ted Chiang: ‘The machines we have now are not conscious’ Google places engineer on leave after he claims group’s chatbot is ‘sentient’ The golden age of AI-generated art is here. It’s going to get weird EU agrees landmark rules on artificial intelligence Tech Tonic is presented by Madhumita Murgia and John Thornhill. Senior producer is Edwin Lane and the producer is Josh Gabert-Doyon. Executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design by Breen Turner and Samantha Giovinco. Original music by Metaphor Music. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:26:27

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Superintelligent AI: Transhumanism etc.

12/5/2023
What are the ideas driving the pursuit of human-level AI? In the penultimate episode of this Tech Tonic series, hosts Madhumita Murgia and John Thornhill look at some of the futuristic objectives that are at the centre of the AI industry’s quest for superintelligence and hear about the Extropians, a surprisingly influential group of futurists from the early 1990s. Anders Sandberg, senior research fellow at Oxford university's Future of Humanity Institute, sets out some of the ideas developed in the Extropians mailing list while Connor Leahy, co-founder of Conjecture and Timnit Gebru, founder of the Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR) explain why they worry about the Extropians’ continued influence today. Free links: OpenAI and the rift at the heart of Silicon Valley We need to examine the beliefs of today’s tech luminaries OpenAI’s secrecy imperils public trust Big tech companies cut AI ethics staff, raising safety concerns Tech Tonic is presented by Madhumita Murgia and John Thornhill. Senior producer is Edwin Lane and the producer is Josh Gabert-Doyon. Executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design by Breen Turner and Samantha Giovinco. Original music by Metaphor Music. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. Clips: Alcor Cryonics Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:25:59