Tech Can't Save Us

August saw the rollout of the UK's Online Safety Bill, sparking debate and concern among tech giants. Meanwhile, the space race heated up with India's Vikram Lander aiming for the moon, shadowed by Russia's Luna-25 mishap. Could the cosmos be the next tech battleground? As regulatory challenges mount on Earth, might tech leaders look to the stars? Paul, Rebecca, and Savena discuss the interplay of online safety regulations and celestial ambitions in this episode of Tech Can't Save Us.

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Bootstrapping and VC funding offer unique growth paths for businesses. While bootstrapping celebrates autonomy, VC funding boasts rapid scaling opportunities. What factors dictate the ideal choice for B2B startups? Economic conditions and evolving VC trends suggest alternatives. Paul, Rebecca, and Savena discuss the intricacies of bootstrapping versus VC funding in this Tech Can't Save Us episode.

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In 2010, high-frequency algorithms helped trigger a severe market crash, vaporizing roughly $1 trillion in a matter of minutes. Today, the volatility associated with the stock market has inspired banks such as JPMorgan to use machine-learning applications in some of their buy-side trading strategies. What is the role of automation in the world of wealth and investment management, and how is the rise of robo-advisors shifting the ground beneath our financial feet? Paul, Will, and Rebecca are joined by Steven Wang, founder and CEO of dub, to discuss wealth, investment, and the tech that’s taking finance to new heights.

Gone are the days when Food Tech was an unfamiliar subject introduced to you in high school. Today, UK adults judge a restaurant by its presence on social media, the number of robots in the European food tech industry is well over 30,000, and over 50% of Brits call food delivery an essential part of their lives. How has technology integrated with food over the years, and what are the consequences of this increasingly close partnership? Join Paul, Will, and Rebecca, along with Alex Bond, CEO of Fresh Check, as they explore the fascinating world of plates and pixels.

It’s been a fascinating four weeks for tech nerds—from the launch (and decline?) of “twitter-buster” Threads, to Twitter’s own CEO sunsetting the bird in favor of “X”, we’ve had a month that’s practically begging for a review. That, combined with the recently celebrated ‘Fintech Day’ (1 August), makes the foundation of this week’s pod—with your resident humans Paul, Will, and Rebecca. 

91% of leading businesses have ongoing investments in artificial intelligence—and that number just went up by the time you read this sentence. There’s no denying that AI is shaping up to become the revolution of the decade. What does this mean for employment? Will AI assist us or kick us out of business? What benefits and threats does it pose to the job market? And most importantly, can adaptability (arguably our most human trait) help us thrive alongside AI to achieve what was once impossible?

Suspected androids Paul and Will discuss.

With 33% of college students in the US taking at least one online course, it’s safe to say that we’re turning over a new leaf in global education. What are the benefits and trade-offs of online learning? Is the UK doing enough to make it as equitable as possible? And can our newest old friend, AI, step in to help revolutionise the future of learning? Catch Paul, Will, and Rebecca discussing these questions in a thought-provoking episode of TCSU.

Why do almost half of women in tech drop out by age 35? Does diversity in tech matter? Can government-led initiatives really make the tech sector more diverse — and if not, what are the alternative solutions? Rocío Medina van Nierop — co-founder and CEO of Latinas in Tech — joins us to answer these questions and more.

To learn more about the incredible work Latinas In Tech is doing visit www.latinasintech.org

In a world driven by rapid technological advancements, the future holds both excitement and uncertainty. Join us as we explore the intersection of technology, society, and our shared future. We delve into the coolest tech breakthroughs across various industries, discussing whether technology can save us from our most pressing challenges, such as the threat of climate change and poverty.

From traditional business verticals to new technologies like the Metaverse, and Web 3, we question the boundaries of what's possible and look at the challenges and opportunities ahead. We also examine the interplay between innovations that can make an impact and those that can generate profits, plus the significance of government investment in addressing this issue.

One intriguing avenue we explore is whether artificial intelligence (AI) has a place in an agency built on the concept of human-to-human connections. We talk about how our agency is navigating the growth of AI, using it to add some firepower to our work while keeping our engagements authentic and meaningful. 

Still, on the issue of AI, we’re joined by Suhair Khan, the founder of Open-Ended, a cross-disciplinary lab and AI incubator.

Suhair shares her inspiration for starting the organization and sheds light on the common challenges faced by creative technologists.  We finish off the chat with Suhair’s aspirations, her views on the need for holistic ecosystems to make a bigger impact, and some talk about an Open-Ended conference happening later this year on the future of intelligence. There will be free tickets for those who can’t afford them, so be sure to stay tuned for more!

You can connect with Suhair on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suhairk/ (where she likes replying to messages) and learn more about the work the Open-Ended team is doing at: https://www.openended.design/

This week, Will and Rebecca discuss the Oceangate Titan submersible disaster that killed five people — including the company’s founder, Stockton Rush — and what we can learn from it about the need for regulation in tech. 

Despite numerous warnings from industry experts and a lack of regulation, Rush pushed ahead with the fatal expedition, reflecting a prevailing attitude among super-rich entrepreneurs that they know better than anyone else. 

Will and Rebecca discuss the barriers to regulation, whistleblowers, and what really lies behind moves towards tougher regulation in the EU and UK. Are dark forces at play? And whose interests are really being served?

There are obvious parallels between the Titan disaster and the tech industry — the conversation around the regulation of social media has been going on for a couple of decades, and more recently, AI has come under the regulation spotlight. 

How can we strike a balance between regulation and innovation in tech and ensure regulations guarantee ethical and privacy standards? Is regulation always good, or does it stifle innovation and serve hidden agendas? Tune in for Will and Rebecca’s takes on these issues and more.