The Times Tech Podcast
The Sunday Times
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jul 24, 2025 • 39min
How big does a supercomputer need to be really
Danny is joined by the Times' Technology correspondent Mark Sellman whio has been spending time with the UK's newest supercomputer, Isambard AI, which has become the world's 11th most powerful supercomputer and could be used to develop British LLMs (Large Language Models). Plus, flirtatious or insulting AI companions, and a government plan to ban businesses from paying hackers ransoms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 17, 2025 • 34min
Can an AI scientist solve humanity's problems?
Danny goes solo this week, in old-school Danny in the Valley style. He speaks to Sam Rodriques, the founder and CEO of FutureHouse – a non-profit organisation developing AI scientists that could revolutionise human discovery. Plus, he rounds up the week in tech – from NVIDIA’s chips making a return to China, to Mark Zuckerberg’s ambitious plan to build data centres the size of Manhattan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 10, 2025 • 48min
Linda Yaccarino’s X exit & Figma files for IPO
Katie speaks to Dylan Field - the CEO of Figma. The design software firm has filed to go public on the New York Stock Exchange with Dylan calling it the most ‘interesting, intense, and fun time’. Danny and Katie also talk about Linda Yaccarino resigning as CEO of X and discuss a so-called ‘Panda watch’ creeping over Silicon Valley! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 3, 2025 • 46min
Can a driverless car really cope with London traffic & is the big AI bromance over?
Katie joins the CEO of Wayve, Alex Kendall, for a journey round the busy 'higgledy-piggledy' roads of London in a driverless car, to see the tech in real action. Plus a special AI news roundup on how Sam Altman & Satya Nadella's relationship may be souring; how Meta might be finding AI's best talent, and defining fair use when it comes to the training of LLMs.Have any questions, or feedback? Get in touch: techpod@thetimes.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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.
