The Big Tech Show

Will AI replace authors? How will we spot real from the fake? And have some LLMs already been trained on authors’ books? Shane Hegarty, bestselling children’s book author joined Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show. Adrian began by reading out a five-hundred-word excerpt generated by chat GPT in the style of author Shane Hegarty. The tech editor then asked Shane to rate the piece for accuracy out of 10. The children’s book author gave the piece a one out of ten because it was trying to be funny and had little sense of what his book is actually about. You can listen to the full episode here on the Irish Independent website or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The discussion kicks off with YouTube's meteoric rise as a dominant media platform, reshaping content consumption habits. A chilling report reveals how hackers exploit biometric security flaws, using artificial fingertips to bypass fingerprint and facial recognition systems. The conversation also delves into Intel's challenges amid tech evolution, highlighting potential job losses and the competitive edge of companies like NVIDIA. With the semiconductor industry facing R&D hurdles, the future of chip innovation remains uncertain.

What is the case for space? Does humanity benefit from it? And are the environmental impacts too great? Leo Enright, space commentator, former RTE and BBC correspondent joins Adrian on the Big Tech Show. Adrian began the conversation by asking was there any scientific merit to the Blue Origin New Shephard rocket which last week made a sub-orbital flight with an all-female crew to the edge of space and back. The space commentator stated that there was next to no scientific value in the Jeff Bezos backed space exploration. However, Leo Enright, did point out that Gail King was the first American journalist in space and the he is hopeful that she will once again popularise space exploration amongst the American public. You can listen to the full episode here on the Irish Independent website or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What made Adam Dalton realise he loved selling? Which teacher influenced him in secondary school? And what are the downsides of a multi-million euro exit? Adam Dalton, co-founder of Jamango! former CEO and co-founder of Robotify, joins Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show. Adam Dalton seemed destined for entrepreneurship with an early love of LEGO and Minecraft. Adrian began the conversation by asking him about a guidance counsellor in his secondary school called Michael O’Neill. The teacher put on coding classes after school where Adam learned to build websites and games through coding, which served him well in his future career. You can listen to the full episode here on the Irish Independent website or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will Irish jobs be impacted if the EU go after US tech services? Is Ireland the likely battle ground for a digital trade war? And why did the Chinese pull out of the deal to sell TikTok? JJ Clarke, Producer, joins host Donal O’Donovan on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show. The business editor began by pointing out that Ireland sells about 52 billion dollars' worth of digital services to the US every year, versus about 53 billion dollars' worth of physical products. Roughly half of Irish exports to the US (the digital services) are not affected by Trump’s current tariffs. However, Donal O’Donovan highlighted that global trade in goods and the manufacturing sector are being targeted currently. You can listen to the full episode here on the Irish Independent website or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Caroline O’Doherty, Environment correspondent for the Irish Independent, discusses the explosive growth of data centers in Ireland and their significant energy consumption, projected to make up over 31% of the country's electricity use. She reveals why companies flock to Ireland, including the stable political and favorable geographical climate. The conversation also uncovers the mix of valuable and 'junk' data stored, highlighting the environmental impact and challenges of integrating sustainable solutions like waste heat from these centers.

How did US military leaders accidentally add a journalist to their group chat? What should users of DNA test 23andme do now that the company is going bankrupt? And why has Netflix show Adolescence created such a panic about teenage phone use? Producer, JJ Clarke, joined Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show to discuss the latest tech news. The tech editor started by discussing the recent security leak at the highest level of the US government. Editor in chief of the Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, was added to a Signal group chat You can listen to the full episode here on the Irish Independent website or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is happening with the weaponisation of technology? From Musk threatening to shut off Starlink in Ukraine to the Israeli’s arming hundreds of pagers. And where does Ireland’s neutrality stand in all of this? Declan Power, security and defence analyst, joins the Big Tech Show for this week’s episode. The tech editor began by asking the defence expert about Ireland’s neutral stance. Declan Power made the argument that Ireland has taken a side in the Ukraine conflict. However, Ireland is only providing non-lethal support for Ukraine such as aid and fuel rather than bombs and bullets. You can listen to the full episode here on the Irish Independent website or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What should you know about the new Amazon.ie website? Is it worth switching over from the UK domain? Is it cheaper? Producer, JJ Clarke, joined Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show to discuss the latest tech news. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What’s the new MacBook Air like? Should you upgrade to it? And can a new CEO rescue Intel’s woes? Producer, JJ Clarke, joined Adrian on this week’s episode of The Big Tech Show to discuss the latest tech news. Adrian began the conversation by talking about the new MacBook Air with an M4 chip. He advised the listener to consider older versions of the MacBook Air with either M2 or M3 chips as they are perfect for the average office worker. However, the tech editor made the point that if someone has an intel chip based laptop or an M1 chip laptop, they should consider the new MacBook Air. You can listen to the full episode here on the Irish Independent website or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.