Crashed

This episode explores the recent experiences at South by Southwest (SXSW) London, the state of XR and AI markets, and the implications of upcoming IPOs in the tech industry, including the $135-a-share gamble with SpaceX that would make it the largest IPO ever and worth nearly $1.8 trillion. Hosts Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker share insights, critiques, and future predictions about the cultural and economic impact of these technological trends.Keywords: South by Southwest London, XR, AI, IPOs, tech industry, cultural impact, market analysis, innovation, technology trendskey topicsSouth by Southwest London experienceThe state of XR and extended realityUpcoming IPOs of AI and tech giants OpenAI, Anthropic and SpaceXMarket concentration and valuation concernsCultural and societal implications of XR and AI

This episode explores the complex issues of shadow banning, content moderation, and the influence of AI and religion on digital society. Featuring Dr. Carolina Are, of the LSE, presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker get deep into platform policies, free speech, and the moral implications of AI development.Oh, and what “don’t be evil” did (or didn’t mean) to Google, how North Korea might be using AI and what on earth the UK might be doing about all this. Follow Dr. Carolina Are: https://www.instagram.com/bloggeronpole/?hl=en Keywords: shadow banning, social media moderation, AI ethics, free speech, platform regulation, digital rights, online harms, social media censorship, AI morality, religious influence on technologykey topicsShadow banning and content suppressionThe influence of AI and algorithms on societyThe role of religion and morality in AI development

Britain’s next-generation high-speed rail network (HS2) was going to lay 530km of track, offer speeds of up to 225mph, cost around £33bn, and launch in 2026, when it was announced in 2012. Now in 2026, it’ll cost up to £103bn, be under half the length (225km), slower, and won’t be completed until, potentially, 2043. It’s gone laughably wrong. Even the government calls it “the world’s most expensive slow-motion car crash”. Presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker interview transport expert Adam Tyndall about how a slow-motion car crash is possible on a railway, exactly what’s gone wrong and why a bat tunnel costs £100m (yes, it does relate to HS2).Elsewhere, how much EU can an EU EU if an EU is in the EU? Brussels is preparing the Chips Act 2.0 for a reported launch on 27 May, as part of the wider Tech Sovereignty Package. They want to double Europe’s global semiconductor market share to 20% by 2030. Chris is heading to Europe to find out if that’s possible (though we both think we know the answer).Follow Adam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamtyndall/

Presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker explore the rise of surveillance technology, particularly by police, with investigative journalist Mark Wilding, of Liberty Investigates. They also discuss digital ID systems, what self-sovereign identity would mean in practice, why nobody should say “purdah” any more, and the cultural significance of moustaches.Keywords: surveillance, digital ID, facial recognition, government policy, privacy, societal impact, technology ethicsKey topics: Facial recognition and privacy concerns. Digital ID and government surveillance.

The trial between Elon Musk and Sam Altman has reached the courtroom. Well-known philanthropist Musk claims that OpenAI, which was set up as a charity, has been stolen, is no longer open source and is sufficiently non-profit. The tail is wagging the dog, Musk has said.Presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker look at how this case might actually have a huge impact on the future of AI, the future of charity law and whether or not Musk has any chance of winning. We also get into why the Lib Dems need a sub editor, why all the major parties appear to agree on new AI sovereignty plans, and something about how terrible apps allowing to switch off social media are. *Editor's note: The Liberal Democrat press office responded to us after the recording. They didn't respond to the points raised but did say they are calling for "a National Online Crime Agency to combat the surge in AI-enabled fraud (fraud, more widely, now accounts for 44% of all reported UK crime)." This is different from the press release, but they also "attached the proposal too, which is correct." It was.*

Presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker explore the emerging role of AI in polling and market research, examining its accuracy, ethical considerations, and future potential. Damian Lyons Lowe, CEO of polling company Survation, shares insights on synthetic data, the challenges of traditional polling methods, and how AI might reshape the industry.So can public polling work without the public? And if you asked the public, what would they think? Would it be the same as it you asked the AI?Also, are big AI firms struggling with growing (and profit) pains? And what does all this have to do with trying to buy Malted Milk biscuits in a supermarket?You can find Survation's research here: https://www.survation.com/Keywords: AI polling, synthetic data, market research, political polling, polling accuracy, ethical AI, AI bias, polling industry, data science, future of pollingKey topics: AI in polling and market research, synthetic data and its limitations, polling accuracy and bias, ethical considerations in AI-driven polling, future trends in polling technology

The UK has not created a new music genre in a decade, DJ/producer Lo-Wu tells Crashed. As AI now accounts for around 40% of music uploads, what happened to innovation in music? Where’s the next garage, the next grime, the next dubstep coming from? If streaming doesn't work, and live music doesn't work, if record sales don’t work, and if AI music, as Nick Cave says, is a “grotesque mockery of what it is to be human”, what happens now? Did Spotify kill music? Did Thatcher? Did the internet? Or is music still a thriving industry that pays out $11bn to artists each year (as Spotify says)? And now that anyone can create an album (as TV presenter/tech journalist Spencer Kelly did with his 10-year-old daughter), is that a good thing or a bad one? Presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker are joined by Spencer Kelly and South London DJ/producer/dot connector Lo-Wu to try and work out where music goes next. Follow Spencer Kelly on Substack: https://spencerkelly.substack.com/ or visit his website: https://www.spencerkelly.com/ Follow Lo-Wu on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lowusounds, subscribe to his Substack https://substack.com/@lowusounds , or book tickets to his event, LO-WU LIVE: The Lost Art of The Sound Man, here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/lowusoundsltd/2160317

Crashed, the tech podcast about everything else, discusses how the creator of Bitcoin, the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto, has been unveiled as British entrepreneur Adam Back. Is it correct? Also, presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker discuss Elon Musk’s power in the space race, and just how that impacts the race to Mars.We also discuss the Iran/Israel/US peace deal and how it tech matters in these negotiations, and, somehow, how all this relates to the world’s oldest tortoise, Jamiroquai, and 90s TV host Dave Benson Phillips.