BYLINE TIMES PODCAST

What is Artificial Intelligence? And is it our our friend or foe?  Elon Musk recently claimed that AI would eliminate the need for human jobs in the future; which is great if you’re a billionaire like him, but doesn’t explain how the rest of us would earn enough to live. This poses big questions about who controls the technology – and what their plans are for the rest of us.Will AI liberate us from the drudgery of boring admin jobs – or become a tool to control us? There are even doomsday scenarios in which the robots turn on humans – their creators – and then destroy us. Could science fiction become science fact? Adrian Goldberg hears from Kyle Taylor, author of the Byline Times Little Black Book of Artificial Intelligence. Produced in Birmingham by Adrian Goldberg and Harvey White. Funded by subscriptions to the Byline Times. Made by We Bring Audio for Byline Times.

US data firm Palantir Technologies Inc has won a £480 million contract (along with professional services firm Accenture) to handle the new Federated Data Platform for the Health Service.On the face of it this looks like a positive for patients. The new Platform is designed to facilitate information sharing among hospital trusts and other parts of the NHS, enabling them to communicate more efficiently. No more having to repeat your past medical history every time you see a doctor.But Palantir’s involvement has caused real concern. The company has worked with the CIA and other intelligence agencies and what critics describe as mass surveiilance programmes. Its Trump supporting co founder Peter Thiel has been an outspoken critic of the NHS, suggesting that British Taxpayers have fallen to ‘Stockholm syndrome’.Adrian Goldberg hears from Max Colbert, who has chronicled Palantir for Byline Times, Dr Jeni Tennision, Executive Director of Connected by Data and Hope Worsdale, a spokesperson for Just Treatment,Produced in Birmingham by Adrian Goldberg and Harvey White. Funded by subscriptions to the Byline Times. Made by We Bring Audio for Byline Times. 

Unelected Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has given the plum job of Foreign Secretary to the equally unelected former PM David Cameron, who has been fast tracked into the House Of Lords after giving up his parliamentary seat.Adrian Goldberg gets reaction from Jessie Joe Jacobs, Director of the Democracy Network, a group representing 800+ organisations seeking to renew UK politics and David Wearing, a lecturer in International Relations at the University of Sussex and an expert on UK foreign relations in the Middle East.Produced in Birmingham by Adrian Goldberg.  Funded by subscriptions to the Byline Times. Made by We Bring Audio for Byline Times.

Streaming giant Spotify is coming in for flak over proposals to cut revenue for small independent artists. The idea is that Is that tracks which would otherwise account for the lowest 0.5% of royalty payments will be demonetised.Adrian Goldberg hears from Skepwax Records co-founder Amelia Fletcher who has played in a host of well loved indie bands including Talulah Gosh and Heavenly. Amelia is also an economics Professor with expertise in competition policy at UAE. Adrian also hears from one of Spotify’s satisfied cutomers, Jack Clothier co founder of indie label Alcopop Records.Produced in Birmingham by Adrian Goldberg and Harvey White. Funded by subscriptions to the Byline Times. Made by We Bring Audio for Byline Times.

As the UK government announces plans for an independent football regulator, how well governed and regulated is sport internationally? In this episode we look specifically at how Saudi Arabia is extending its global geopolitical reach through football, golf, F1 and esports, despite its well documented human rights abuses.  The repressive regime of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman - or MBS - has effectively been guaranteed the right to host the 2034 soccer World Cup after its only rival Australia dropped out. This fits with Saudi Arabia’s plan to 'sportswash' its reputation - and exercise political power, too. Adrian Goldberg is joined by Stanis Elsborg who’s been investigating the Riyadh government for Play The Game an organisation based at Danish Institute for Sports Studies.Produced in Birmingham by Adrian Goldberg and Harvey White. Funded by subscriptions to the Byline Times. Made by We Bring Audio for Byline Times.

Byline Times contributor Zarina Zabrisky presents her Ukraine war diary - a series of dispatches from Kherson and beyond. There's an account of life under fire in Kherson with war photographer Paul Conroy. Zarina also discusses Russia’s nuclear blackmail and meets Yaroslava Antipina aka @strategywoman – a Ukrainian using the power of social media to show the beauty of her war torn country.  There are reflections, too, on the rise of anti-semitism in Russia in the wake of the fighting in Israel and Gaza, with Vyacheslav Likhechev a former Fellow at UN Human Rights.Produced in Birmingham by Adrian Goldberg. Funded by subscriptions to the Byline Times. Made by We Bring Audio for Byline Times.

After four years, the Byline Times has finally hit the UK's news stands and has secured an exclusive royal story to mark its arrival. Byline Times editor Hardeep Matharu and executive editor Peter Jukes explain why it's so important to extend the availability of the newspaper, while talking us through the connections between King Charles, Dan Wootton, Prince Harry and press freedom. Produced in Birmingham by Adrian Goldberg and Harvey White. Funded by subscriptions to the Byline Times. Made by We Bring Audio for Byline Times.

Adrian Goldberg hears from UK medics calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Israel has launched the onslaught in the territory, in retaliation for horrific attacks by Hamas in which more than 1400 people were killed. More than 200 hostages were taken. More than 4300 people have since died in Gaza, many of them civilians, as a result of aerial strikes, which are thought to be the prelude of a ground invasion. Humanitarian Aid has been allowed into the territory after several days of siege and the International Committee of the Red Cross is now asking for medical personal and surgical teams to be allowed in. Adrian is joined by Dr Omar Abdel-Mannan who has made several visits to Gaza and the West Bank and Dr Deborah Harrington  a Consultant Obstetrician based in Oxford who has been travelling to Gaza since 2017.Produced in Birmingham by Adrian Goldberg and Harvey White. Funded by subscriptions to the Byline Times. Made by We Bring Audio for Byline Times. 

Adrian Goldberg talks to Udi Goren, whose cousin Tal Haimi was kidnapped by Hamas after a terrorist attack on the kibbutz where he lived on the day the war broke out. Hamas committed terrible atrocities, including the slaughter of unarmed young people attending a music festival; but more than 3,700 people have died as a result of Israel’s retaliation. Palestinians argue the bombing and siege of Gaza is a war crime, because it is a collective punishment upon a civilian population.Produced in Birmingham by Adrian Goldberg. Funded by subscriptions to the Byline Times. Made by We Bring Audio for Byline Times.