Tech Life

Chris Vallance finds out about research to help self-driving cars communicate with other road users. Hear what happened when he came into contact with a virtual vehicle!

Also this week: you've probably seen the app on TV news recently, but how does MarineTraffic know which ships are doing what in the Strait of Hormuz? And Shiona McCallum checks out changes to Roblox age checks for children.

Presenter: Chris Vallance

(Photo: Illustration of a driverless car on a main road approaching a pedestrian crossing, with people walking in front of and around the side of the car and sensors detectimg its surroundings. Credit: Getty Images)

Can we trust AI? Its answers are not always correct. And it only knows what it's been trained on, so some of its responses can contain bias. Tech experts offer us some solutions.

Also this week: digital twinning is helping the restoration of a three hundred year old palace. And the joy of mundane video gaming!

Presenter: Shiona McCallum

(Image: A person is typing on a laptop computer. Digital icons for AI, ticks (checkmarks) and warning signs float above the keyboard. Credit: Getty Images)

Climate change is making devastating extreme weather more common. Tech Life's Yasmin Morgan-Griffiths explores the science that could help communities take polluters to court.

Also this week: we look at whether the boom in AI is causing a boom in electronic waste. And as astronauts head back to the Moon, we meet a veteran NASA space robot that's on a mission to return home.

Presenter: Chris Vallance

(Photo: Smoke billows from a chimney at a coal-fired power station in Eastern Europe. The light of the sun is obscured by the dense dark smoke clouds. Credit: Reuters)

Humans are returning to the Moon - hear all about it on the BBC’s space podcast. 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II is following Nasa’s mission to loop around the Moon, with a new episode every day. Starts on Monday 30 March 2026. Search for 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II wherever you get your BBC podcasts. Follow or subscribe now so you don’t miss an episode.

We discuss how AI could help health professionals work better, detect diseases earlier and even change the way people around the world look after themselves.

Also this week: Shiona McCallum interviews a businesswoman who is trying to make female health tech more accessible and affordable. And we have a good news story that originated on the darker side of the internet.

Presenter: Shiona McCallum

(Image: A photo of a female doctor sitting at a desk in a hospital lab. She is using AI technology on a laptop computer. Credit: Getty Images)

We dig through the evidence on the effect of screen time on babies and young children, with the help of some parents and experts. And after hearing our story of a woman who got her voice back with the help of AI, a listener got in touch to tell us his own moving story of hearing his father’s voice for the first time in 50 years.

Producers: Imran Rahman-Jones and Vuyelo Ndlovu

(Image: A baby holds a smartphone, looking at the screen while lying in bed. Credit: Getty Images.)

Behind some OnlyFans models making money from chatting to paying subscribers is the unseen human labour people who pretend to be the models and chat on their behalf. We speak to a woman in the Philippines about her jobs as a “chatter’.

Also on the programme, scientists using AI to help advance their research. And the White House has been cutting real footage from the war with Iran with clips from video games. We analyse their strategy.

Presenter: Shiona McCallum

Quantum computing promises revolutionary new discoveries. But tech revolutions can be messy. Is now the time to start thinking about how we ethically use quantum machines?

Also, we find out how glass can be turned into useful data storage that will last for thousands of years. And what can science fiction tell us about our spacefaring future?

Presenter: Chris Vallance

(Photo: An image of a quantum computer inside a high-tech facility. The computer has metallic silver and gold-coloured tubing to assist in cooling. Credit: Getty Images)

AI tech is giving people their lost voices back. We chat to Yvonne Johnson, who has motor neurone disease. She's lost much of her ability to speak. But artificial intelligence is helping Yvonne to be heard again, with her own voice.

Also this week: we discuss AI and the price of memory chips with a big computer manufacturer. And video gaming is booming in Africa.

Presenter: Shiona McCallum

(Image: A photo of Yvonne Johnson. She is smiling directly at the camera. Credit: Portrait Of A Voice.)

We chat to NVIDIA about AI chat and how to make it sound more human. Explore making and breaking an emotional connection with AI. And new tech is helping stroke survivors.

Presenter: Chris Vallance

(Photo: A digital screen shows an icon of a chatbot with text inviting users to ask it anything and a finger pressing on the screen. Credit: Getty Images)