Tech Life

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

(Photo: Shiona McCallum tries on some wearable tech at VivaTech in Paris. Credit: BBC)

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.

Presenter: Chris Vallance

(Image: A phone with the white and black ChatGPT logo on it. In the background is green Matrix-style code. Credit: Getty Images)

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 skills.

Presenter: Chris Vallance

(Photo: A man is in an airport lounge. He is charging his smartphone with a portable charger, which is resting on a suitcase. Credit: Getty Images)

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 FIFA headquarters in Switzerland. And a leading critic of AI hype returns to Tech Life.

Presenter: Chris Vallance

(Photo: A hand is seen holding the new Majorana 2 quantum chip from Microsoft. The chip is gold-coloured. It is so large that it is the same size as the hand. Credit: Microsoft)

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 the womb.

(Photo: A female teacher sits at a classroom desk with a female high school pupil looking at a laptop screen. Credit: Getty Images)

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.

(Photo: Numerous computer screens are displaying green-coloured code and a finger pointing at a smartphone screen. Credit: Getty Images)

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 about his AI teaching app that will work without the internet.

Presenter: Chris Vallance

(Image: Deep potholes have formed on a tarmac road. They are deep enough to catch rainwater. A car is about to drive over them. Credit: Getty Images)

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.

Presenter: Shiona McCallum

(Image: A man asleep in bed with a black boomerang-shaped device attached to his neck. Credit: Zeus Sleeps)

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

(Image: The words "Meta AI" are displayed on a smartphone screen. The phone is resting on a laptop keyboard. Credit: Reuters)

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 want to see you now. And virtual glucose monitoring tech for diabetics - with the help of AI.

Presenter: Shiona McCallum

(Image: Pam Cronrath is standing beside the hologram of her husband, Bill. Credit: George Johnsen)