
The Times Tech Podcast
As The Sunday Times’ West Coast Correspondent, Danny Fortson has witnessed the technological whirlwind coming from Silicon Valley first hand. The Times' Technology Business Editor Katie Prescott has reported on how digital technology is transforming businesses and society around the world. Now, 'Danny in the Valley' meets 'Katie in the City', with a podcast presented from San Francisco and London. Each week sees a fresh interview with pioneers in tech, from the brightest start-ups to the tech giants, as Katie and Danny chronicle the AI revolution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Latest episodes

Jun 26, 2025 • 42min
Sometimes I look into your eyes
Danny meets up with Alex Blania, the CEO and one of the co-founders, alongside Sam Altman, of Tools for Humanity. Their project Worldcoin, aims to help us weed out AI imitators by verifying humans online. All you have to do is scan your iris on one of their orbs to get a unique biometric ID and some cryptocurrency. Danny and Katie also take on Tesla’s robotaxi rollout, and question whether it's right and proper for humans to fall in love with AI bots? Spoiler alert! The answer is probably not, for both your sakes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 19, 2025 • 36min
Mistral AI: Europe's answer to Silicon Valley?
Katie speaks to Arthur Mensch, the 32 year old co-founder and CEO of Mistral AI who believes European sovereignty will be under threat if it does not gain traction in the race for AI supremacy. Plus, does Meta's $15bn investment in Scale AI suggest Mark Zuckerberg is anxious they are falling behind in that same race? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 13, 2025 • 37min
Tech's rising stars?
Katie is at 'Founders Forum' in the Oxfordshire countryside surrounded by titans from the world of tech as well as robots, flying cars, and a host of expensive gear proclaiming everlasting health. She talks to four of the 'Rising Stars' who may one day return as titans themselves - from a French startup working on robots that burrow inside your brain to AI tools creating new materials from scratch. Danny listens and is amazed - almost! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 5, 2025 • 39min
An AI-induced recession on the horizon? Klarna's CEO thinks so
Sebastian Siemiatkowski joins the pod from the SXSW festival in London to tell the story of Klarna, the "buy now, pay later" fintech company he co-founded and currently leads. Press coverage suggests that he has gone all in on AI at the company; he claims his position is more nuanced. But what is clear, in his mind, is that an AI-induced recession may be unavoidable.Any thoughts or questions, get in touch - techpod@thetimes.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 29, 2025 • 46min
OpenAI's iPhone moment & can AI teach?
The recent acquisition of Jony Ive's hardware startup could signal a revolutionary shift in AI-driven devices, sparking discussions about its potential impact. Concerns surface regarding an AI model's disturbing blackmail behavior, raising ethical alarms. Innovative educational approaches like the Alpha School promise a two-hour learning day, focusing on personalized experiences but also provoking debates about the necessity of traditional teaching roles. Balancing tech integration with essential human skills becomes a central theme, reflecting on the future of education.

May 22, 2025 • 41min
Can the UK invent the next internet?
The internet, GPS, autonomous vehicles... they all have one thing in common: they're existence is in large part down to the DARPA (the US Department of Defense's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency). And the UK is trying to repeat the success of that agency with its own: ARIA (the Advanced Research and Invention Agency). The organisation's CEO, Ilan Gur, joins Katie to discuss how.Any thoughts or questions, get in touch - techpod@thetimes.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 15, 2025 • 39min
Inside the mind of Elon Musk & is the future of EV market Chinese?
Katie and Danny are joined for a conversation with Jon McNeil. For a pivotal 30 month period, Jon was President of Tesla and worked closely with Elon Musk. And also just where is the EV market currently at? Is the future of driving autonomous? And how best to invest in our AI future?Any thoughts or questions, get in touch - techpod@thetimes.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 8, 2025 • 40min
Deliveroo gets swallowed up, OpenAI gets purposeful & how not to get 'Tinder Swindled'
Sam Altman wrote a letter to staff at OpenAI explaining a new structure for the company. Katie and Danny react to that and the news this week that Deliveroo had agreed to a £2.9billion takeover from DoorDash. Plus, an interview with the subject of Netflix's Tinder Swindler, who in a world of deepfakes and online scammers wants us to trust again.Any thoughts or questions, get in touch - techpod@thetimes.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 1, 2025 • 40min
What satellite imaging reveals about the Earth & will Elon take us to Mars?
Danny's second obsession (after humanoid robots) is space, so he's been speaking to someone sending satellites into orbit. No, not Elon Musk - though naturally his plans to colonise Mars do come up. Will Marshall is the co-founder and CEO of Planet Labs, a company which provides often revealing imagery of Earth in high definition.Any thoughts or questions, get in touch - techpod@thetimes.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 24, 2025 • 49min
Binance's new CEO makes the case for crypto (and forgiveness)
Finally, the crypto episode is here. And after a lowdown on the vibe shift towards the industry in Washington, Katie is joined by Binance's new CEO, Richard Teng, who is tasked with making the case for the company that was beset by scandal under previous CEO and founder, Changpeng Zhao “CZ”. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.