

Download This Show
ABC
Download This Show is your weekly guide to the world of media, culture, and technology. From social media to gadgets, streaming services to privacy issues. Each week Rae Johnston and guests take a fun, deep dive into how technology is reshaping our lives.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 29, 2025 • 29min
Wimbledon broke 148 years of tradition to replace 300 line judges with AI -- will it be worth it?
How much is human adjudication in sport worth, and how much more accurate is Wimbledon's new system? Plus, the CSIRO and the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) have joined forces to research how AI can be used ethically and efficiently in sports.

Aug 22, 2025 • 29min
How do you protect yourself against AI voice scams?
When 1 in 5 people have been the victim of cybercrime and AI voice scams are on the rise, how do we protect ourselves online? Plus Google may soon be the default browser on Android phones in Australia and say 'hello!' to your new best friend, with new AI-powered kids toys.

Aug 15, 2025 • 29min
How will ICE's deportation teams use iris scanning technology?
America’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a notice they intend to purchase an iris scanning technology that can identify "suspects and inmates who try to hide their identity". Unsurprisingly, it’s raised some red flags.

Aug 8, 2025 • 29min
Would Cyberbrothel be more ethical than a traditional brothel?
A sex doll brothel in Berlin is offering a combination of new VR and AI technologies in their plastic playmates. But the Cyberbrothel business falls outside traditional brothel regulations, raising questions how consent, sex work, and tech intersect.

Aug 1, 2025 • 29min
Is Snapchat’s My AI a safe space or a slippery slope for teens?
Snapchat’s AI chatbot, My AI, is raising concerns among teens and parents — with questions about how it's used, what it says, and whether the platform is doing enough to keep young users safe. While there are parental controls available through Snapchat’s Family Centre, many parents may not know they can restrict access to the bot altogether. So, is this feature really as risky as it sounds?Also, major automakers are cancelling their upcoming electric vehicle launches in the US - what does this mean for us here in Australia? And unlike Elon Musk’s brain-computer interface, Synchron’s doesn't require open-skull surgery, and it has an OpenAI chatbot baked in. Is this a win for disability tech? Or the first step towards a Terminator-like revolution? Plus, how do you stop an AI model turning Nazi? What does the Grok drama reveal about how we train our large language models? And is there a better way to be doing it? GUESTS:Tobias Venus, technology and travel journalist Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson, Future Economies reporter for the Australian Associated Press This episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal land and in Meanjin.Technical production by Ann-Marie Debettencour and Allyse Symons.

Jul 25, 2025 • 29min
ID, please? China’s new internet rules and what they could mean for us
Big Brother is getting new powers in China with a digital ID system eerily similar to that being proposed in the upcoming teen social media ban. What are the privacy risks involved in needing your government ID to use any old website on the internet? And could this tech be seen in Australia anytime soon?Teachers have been struggling to manage student use of generative AI for years, but maybe its time teachers were taught how to use AI themselves. Microsoft, OpenAI and Anthropic are investing millions to train teachers how to use AI. Could this be the solution to teacher burnout, or just another way to reduce costs for employers?Also, could tracking your run be a risk to national security? Bodyguards using Strava revealed locations of Swedish leaders and its raised big questions when it comes to how we engage with any app with geo-tracking software. Plus, a new research centre has been unveiled that will explore how AI can help humans ‘speak’ with pets.GUESTS:David Braue, technology journalist at Cybercrime MagazineMichael Cowling, 'Professor tech', Director, Hub for Apple Platform InnovationThis episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal, and Wurundjeri land, and in Naarm.Technical production by Tim Symonds and Allyse Symons.

Jul 18, 2025 • 29min
How do we tell what's real and what's not, when the internet is flooded with AI slop?
Do you think you can tell the difference between what's real and what's made by AI? What about writing? Or even music?More AI-generated content is making its way into what we hear, read, and write and it's getting harder and harder to tell the difference. And when we can't tell who's making the things we consume, we can't tell their intentions behind it either. This is true when AI is causing more Australian job losses, and when the UN decides to use an AI avatar in place of real refugees.GUESTS:Erica Mealy, Senior Lecturer in Computer Science at the University of the Sunshine CoastSeamus Byrne, Head of Content at Byteside and a student member of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and SocietyThis episode of Download This Show was made on Gadigal land and in MeanjinTechnical production by Tim Symonds and Marcus Hobbs

Jul 11, 2025 • 29min
With 9,000 new layoffs at Microsoft, is AI set to change the gaming industry forever?
In recent years, like many other big technology firms, Microsoft has refocused its business towards developing AI, and this week the firm has announced it's slashing 9,000 jobs. A large chunk of these jobs are coming from its Xbox video gaming unit, with successful and longstanding titles like Elder Scrolls and Forza Motorport in the firing line. Why is Microsoft choosing AI over people? And what difference will this make for players of these games?Also, Nintendo has told shareholders that they're investing in virtual reality. Is Nintendo able to revive this less-than-popular tech? Or is this just another shiny promise for investors?Plus, two million people play eSports in Australia, which is more than five times the amount of Javelin throwers we have, so why is one an Olympic sport and not the other? Could the Brisbane Olympics be the chance for Australia to get in on the ground floor of elite competitive video gaming?GUESTS: Alice Clarke, award-winning tech journo and author of Press Any Button SubstackEdmond Tran, managing editor at This Week in VideogamesThis episode of Download This Show was made in Gadigal land and in Naarm. Technical production by Roi Huberman and Matthew Sigley.

Jul 4, 2025 • 29min
An expert has quit over the government's planned social media ban, what now?
This week on Download This Show, we're getting up to speed with what on Earth is going on with the teen social media ban. From new standards being announced to experts quitting in protest -- it's proving to be a busy time for the people making decisions about what our teens get to see online.

Jun 27, 2025 • 36min
How are online tools being used to resist fascism across the globe?
The apps and online tools that are being used in international political action, Tesla drama and the future of autonomous vehicles, what's going on with AI search engine overviews, and the story behind 40,000 cameras being exposed to the internet. This week on Download This Show.


