The Big Tech Show

Bill Gates says AI could contribute to the deaths of a billion people. Geoffrey Hinton, the godfather of AI, says we may have only a year to regulate it.

But Meta’s Yann LeCun, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and Mark Zuckerberg are far more optimistic.

In this week’s Big Tech Show, Adrian Weckler and Irish Independent technology journalist Darragh Nolan examine the growing divide over whether AI poses an existential threat or whether the warnings are being overhyped.

They also review Apple’s new Watch Series 12, its controversial AI listening features, and a Xiaomi smartphone with a 10,000mAh battery that can last three days.

Why you can trust the Irish Independent

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When Mark Little sold his news verification startup Storyful to Rupert Murdoch for $25m, he was summoned to the Australian's New York office.

"Let's go make some f***ing money," Murdoch told him, according to Little.

In this week's episode of the Big Tech Show, the former RTE anchorman-turned-entrepreneur talks in depth about his time running Twitter in Ireland, his challenges as a startup founder and what he thinks about the future of social media and AI.

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Today we have the extraordinary story of Fr Brendan McGuire, a priest from Bray who runs a parish in Silicon Valley and has become an advisor o Anthropic and other AI giants on spiritual, moral and ethical matters

By day, he says mass. By night, urges reflection and restraint to executives within those AI giants, some of which are now warning of humans being wiped out by the technology.

I sat down with Fr McGuire to talk about his life, his ministry, the idea of computers having souls and whether AI might eventually kill us all.

And that was me talking to Fr Brendan McGuire of St Simon’s church in Los Altos, California. Gavin Hennessy was on sound for this episode and JJ Clarke is the producer of the Big Tech Show.

https://www.independent.ie/service/why-you-can-trust-the-irish-independent/a/98708550.html

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On this episode of The Big Tech Show, Adrian Weckler is joined by Dr. Alan Eustace, an assistant professor at the School of Law in Trinity College Dublin, to explore how AI is changing third level education. They discuss students relying on AI to complete coursework, the challenge of assessing genuine learning and how universities can adapt their approach. Eustace explains how Trinity is using research trails, document versions and oral assessments to verify students' work. They also consider whether heavy reliance on AI could weaken critical thinking and ultimately change how we value university degrees.

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Apple has unveiled its first foldable iPhone, but is the eye watering price justified? On this episode of The Big Tech Show, Adrian Weckler talks to Ben Wood, chief marketing officer with FDM CCS Insight about the iPhone Duo, its book style design and whether Apple can make foldables mainstream.

They discuss the phone's impressive screen, camera compromises and the changing cost of smartphones as AI drives up demand for memory and chips. They also explore Apple's new direction under CEO John Ternus and the rise of ambient AI, including concerns about devices that can listen, record and remember what happens around us.

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Irish tech veteran Annrai O’Toole believes fears about AI becoming a threat to humanity are overblown but says we should be far more concerned about how the technology is affecting society today.

On this episode of The Big Tech Show, Adrian Weckler talks to the Iona Technologies co-founder about AI, regulation, Ireland’s technology sector and his latest venture, VCola. They discuss why AI systems remain fundamentally probabilistic, the risks of relying on them for important decisions, and why enterprise software needs to be precise and reliable.

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On this episode of The Big Tech Show, Adrian Weckler is joined by Emanuel Maiberg, journalist and co founder of 404 Media, to explore how AI companies are buying up old and rare books for training data. 

They discuss reports of books being physically cut apart and scanned, why obscure manuals and textbooks are particularly valuable to AI companies, and what could be lost when printed material is destroyed. 

Maiberg also explains how 404 Media tracked a shipment using an AirTag and uncovered evidence of books being scanned and destroyed at an Amazon warehouse.

https://www.independent.ie/service/why-you-can-trust-the-irish-independent/a/98708550.html

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On this episode of The Big Tech Show, Adrian Weckler is joined by psychotherapist Colman Noctor to explore how social media, algorithms and AI are changing the way we communicate and connect.

They discuss the pressure on young people to chase likes, views and online recognition, and how algorithms can encourage risky behaviour.

Noctor explains why human relationships need real world interaction, disagreement and everyday connection, and what we risk losing when we outsource too much of our social lives to technology.

https://www.independent.ie/service/why-you-can-trust-the-irish-independent/a/98708550.html

Colman Noctor TEDxTalk

https://youtu.be/fHTHPYj2zl0?si=z0k5L1FQvYdY82m4

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On this episode of The Big Tech Show, Katie Byrne is joined by producer JJ Clarke to explore how algorithms shape what we watch, buy and believe, and the digital defences that can help us take back control.

They discuss the addictive pull of social media, why JJ keeps his phone out of the bedroom, and whether technology can help us switch off.

They also examine the growing role of AI as a confidant, the rise of AI jealousy in relationships, and whether computer companions could ever replace genuine human connection.

https://www.independent.ie/service/why-you-can-trust-the-irish-independent/a/98708550.html

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Ireland sits at the heart of the world's digital economy, with most transatlantic data cables passing through or close to its waters. But is Ireland prepared to protect the infrastructure that keeps businesses, banks and public services connected?

In this episode of The Big Tech Show, Adrian Weckler is joined by Fearghal O'Connor, Chief Business Writer with the Irish Independent, to examine growing concerns over Ireland's maritime security.

They discuss the risks posed by hostile activity, the country's limited naval capabilities and why experts believe investment in surveillance and defence has become increasingly urgent as geopolitical tensions continue to rise.

https://www.independent.ie/service/why-you-can-trust-the-irish-independent/a/98708550.html

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