Crashed

Shadow Foreign Secretary Tom Tugendhat joins presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker for an episode of Crashed where the news agenda has exploded.

Tugendhat says the Chinese Communist Party is trying to cause him personal harm; addresses the NVidia/spying scandal; says that the Vatican is the only organisation having serious discussions about AI; and a case for AI legislation could be made if it were more about censorship and/or limiting state control rather than data sovereignty.

Elsewhere on the episode, The Web Summit gets washed out in Portugal, the EU introduces the Digital Fairness Act, someone flies eight hours to draw the GTA 6 logo in the sky, and the very nature of physics is questioned. It's quite the episode.

To support, go to https://bit.ly/CrashedPodcast or search Crashed podcast

Follow:

Alex: www.instagram.com/alexhuds / www.tiktok.com/@alexhuds

Chris: www.instagram.com/cstokelwalker / www.tiktok.com/@st0kel

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The Online Safety Act received royal assent three years ago, and regulators are still implementing its regulations. Jessica Zucker, director of online safety policy at Ofcom, joins Crashed presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker to talk about how Ofcom is working with Meta, X, and others to keep them in check; how p***ography laws are being made increasingly complicated with new regulations making some types illegal; and how regulators can keep up with information overload.

Elsewhere in the episode, what does the Democratic Party taking control back of both the House and the Senate mean for tech policy; why are fridges being hacked? And how does ~20% of North Korea's GDP come from hacking?

Ofcom's report on content harmful to children: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/protecting-children/report-on-content-harmful-to-children

Ofcom's roadmap to the implementation of the Online Safety Act: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/roadmap-to-regulation

Ofcom's Media Nations 2026 report: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/research-and-data/multi-sector/media-nations/2026/media-nations-2026-uk-report.pdf?v=423157

To support, go to https://bit.ly/CrashedPodcast or search Crashed podcast

Follow:

Alex: www.instagram.com/alexhuds / www.tiktok.com/@alexhuds

Chris: www.instagram.com/cstokelwalker / www.tiktok.com/@st0kel

Spotify: https://bit.ly/CrashedSpotify

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Investigative journalist Lydia Morrish of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism joins presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker to discuss the millions of non-consensual deepfakes produced on X's Grok in under two weeks.

Elsewhere in the episode, we unpack the UK budget’s technology priorities, including AI investment, cybersecurity, data centres, and support for scale-ups; examine Anthropic’s prospective IPO, the company’s financial disclosures, and what its public offering could reveal about the AI boom.

We also spend slightly too long talking about fish and chips.

Follow Lydia on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lydmorrish/?hl=en-gb

Read her investigation into Grok: https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2026-09-29/grok-deepfakes-police-justice

And her follow-up: https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2026-10-22/grok-deepfake-case-reopened-after-bureau-reporting

Or watch it on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDb5ayMG694

To support, go to https://bit.ly/CrashedPodcast or search Crashed podcast

Follow:

Alex: www.instagram.com/alexhuds / www.tiktok.com/@alexhuds

Chris: www.instagram.com/cstokelwalker / www.tiktok.com/@st0kel

Spotify: https://bit.ly/CrashedSpotify

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4qkgmmV

RSS: https://bit.ly/CrashedRSS

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We tried to make a positive-news-only episode of Crashed and ended up talking about climate change, drilling in the North Sea, the collapse of societal norms, and a lot about a receipt printer for reasons only co-presenter Chris Stokel-Walker knows. Co-presenter Alex Hudson and Chris celebrate Crashed's first birthday with a look at how tech has already made life better and how it might be about to in the years and decades to come.

Keywords: technology, future, green energy, medical tech, quantum computing, AI, innovation, podcast anniversary

Key topics

• Celebration of the podcast's one-year anniversary
• Advancements in green energy and battery tech
• Medical innovations like AI in cancer detection
• Quantum computing and brain interface breakthroughs
• The politics of energy and climate change
• Future predictions for technology and society

To support, go to https://bit.ly/CrashedPodcast or search Crashed podcast

Follow:

Alex: www.instagram.com/alexhuds / www.tiktok.com/@alexhuds

Chris: www.instagram.com/cstokelwalker / www.tiktok.com/@st0kel

Spotify: https://bit.ly/CrashedSpotify

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4qkgmmV

RSS: https://bit.ly/CrashedRSS

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Beatrice Fihn helped pioneer efforts to achieve a treaty-based ban on nuclear weapons. She's now turned her attention to the use of AI in warfare.

Presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker discuss with her how AI is already being used on the battlefield, the parallels with nuclear disarmament and just how much the Geneva Convention stands up to scrutiny.

The documentary discussed in the episode, Will We Let AI Kill People, can be watched in full here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLIT00ZHgYE

Elsewhere in the episode, we talk about MI5's renewed focus on AI, Mia Goth's AI deepfake issue, and what's the point of Apple's HomeView?

keywords: AI warfare, international regulation, autonomous weapons, human control, global coalition, AI ethics, nuclear analogy, treaty negotiationsAI safety, deepfakes, MI5, cybersecurity, biological weapons, AI regulation, tech ethics, AI threats, AI deepfake, AI governance

key topics

• MI5's AI Threat Assessment Centre (AI TAC)
• AI in warfare and automated weapons
• International regulation and treaties
• The importance of human control over AI weapons
• The role of global coalitions and civil society
• Lessons from nuclear and chemical weapons regulation
• The potential and risks of AI in military applications
• Deepfake incidents involving Mia Goth
• Risks of AI in biological weapon synthesis
• Regulation and safety of AI systems
• The AI arms race among global intelligence agencies
• The challenge of verifying AI safety and honesty
• The impact of AI on national security and global stability

To support, go to https://bit.ly/CrashedPodcast or search Crashed podcast

Follow:

Alex: www.instagram.com/alexhuds / www.tiktok.com/@alexhuds

Chris: www.instagram.com/cstokelwalker / www.tiktok.com/@st0kel

Spotify: https://bit.ly/CrashedSpotify

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4qkgmmV

RSS: https://bit.ly/CrashedRSS

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

***Trigger warning: difficult discussions about sexual predators and child abuse take place in this episode.***

The TikTok farlands are what media studies professor Jessica Maddox calls “the end of the internet where things get weird. You’ve left the mainstream and taken a wrong turn.” This wrong turn is regularly just a weird, glitchy nightmare of surreal AI but there is a darker piece to this puzzle.

Presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker talk to investigative journalist Katherine Denkinson about a Prospect investigation about the darker corners of TikTok.

Also in the episode, what price with ASOS's hack have on the brand? And why on either are digital price panels having a moment?

Read Kat's piece here: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/technology/internet/telecoms/social-media/75143/they-trade-child-sex-abuse-material.-they-find-each-other-on-tiktok

Go to Kat's homepage: https://kdenkwrites.com/

To support, go to https://bit.ly/CrashedPodcast or search Crashed podcast

Follow:

Alex: www.instagram.com/alexhuds / www.tiktok.com/@alexhuds

Chris: www.instagram.com/cstokelwalker / www.tiktok.com/@st0kel

Spotify: https://bit.ly/CrashedSpotify

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4qkgmmV

RSS: https://bit.ly/CrashedRSS

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Alex Hudson and Chris explore the chaotic intersection of AI, military technology, and the future of media and society, sharing insights from recent research and personal anecdotes.

keywords: AI, military tech, quantum computing, media, society, innovation, future trends

key topics

• AI and military technology
• Quantum computing advancements
• Media consumption and long-running series
• The economics of hardware and AI infrastructure
• The social implications of technological change

To support, go to https://bit.ly/CrashedPodcast or search Crashed podcast

Follow:

Alex: www.instagram.com/alexhuds / www.tiktok.com/@alexhuds

Chris: www.instagram.com/cstokelwalker / www.tiktok.com/@st0kel

Spotify: https://bit.ly/CrashedSpotify

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4qkgmmV

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Crashed is celebrating its 50th episode, which is silly. Also silly is choosing to celebrate it by trying to fit 50 things you need to know about AI in a single episode. But we did it. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being part of Crashed and making it into the ridiculous thing it has become. If you want cake, email us and we'll try to send you some.

In this episode, Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker explore the latest developments and misconceptions in AI, from superintelligence to AI regulation, water usage, and the future of AI technology.

Keywords: AI, superintelligence, AI regulation, water usage, AI ethics, AI models, AI impact, AI safety, future of AI

Key topics

• What Donald Trump means by superintelligence and its implications
• The reality of superintelligence and its development path
• AI safety concerns and containment issues
• The impact of AI on water and energy consumption
• Regulatory efforts and international cooperation on AI safety
• The influence of capitalism and geopolitics on AI development
• The role of open source and corporate AI models
• The bias and ethical challenges in AI systems
• The potential of AI to reduce conspiracy beliefs and improve productivity
• The future of humanoid robots and AI integration

To support, go to https://bit.ly/CrashedPodcast or search Crashed podcast

Follow:

Alex: www.instagram.com/alexhuds / www.tiktok.com/@alexhuds

Chris: www.instagram.com/cstokelwalker / www.tiktok.com/@st0kel

Spotify: https://bit.ly/CrashedSpotify

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4qkgmmV

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special Q&A episode, presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker explore the complex and often alarming intersections of AI, government influence, privacy, technological innovation, and much more besides. They discuss recent developments, historical parallels, and the future implications of AI and tech in society.

Keywords: AI, government influence, privacy, technology, innovation, regulation, societal impact, future of AI, surveillance, global cooperation

Key topics: AI influence on government decision-making, AI and its historical parallels with the Manhattan Project and financial crises, the role of lobbying and regulation in AI development, privacy concerns with facial recognition and surveillance, global cooperation and AI governance, the impact of AI on jobs and society

To support, go to https://bit.ly/CrashedPodcast or search Crashed podcast

Follow:

Alex: www.instagram.com/alexhuds / www.tiktok.com/@alexhuds

Chris: www.instagram.com/cstokelwalker / www.tiktok.com/@st0kel

Spotify: https://bit.ly/CrashedSpotify

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4qkgmmV

RSS: https://bit.ly/CrashedRSS

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Chayn founder and CEO Hera Hussain joins Alex Hudson and guest presenter Dr Carolina Are to discuss the complex issues surrounding image-based abuse, consent, and digital safety, especially in conservative cultures and diaspora communities. She highlights the importance of nuanced policies, community impact, and technological solutions.

Also in the episode, have we finally reached late-stage algorithm? And what would it take for the presenters to start dating an LLM? 

Read Chayn’s report: https://reports.chayn.co/ 

Follow Carolina on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bloggeronpole

Keywords: image-based abuse, consent, digital safety, Hera Hussain, social media, privacy, gender-based violence, tech policy, Pakistan, social media, algorithms, regulation, aura battles, extremism, digital literacy

To support, go to https://bit.ly/CrashedPodcast or search Crashed podcast

Follow:

Alex: www.instagram.com/alexhuds / www.tiktok.com/@alexhuds

Chris: www.instagram.com/cstokelwalker / www.tiktok.com/@st0kel

Spotify: https://bit.ly/CrashedSpotify

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4qkgmmV

RSS: https://bit.ly/CrashedRSS

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.