Coming soon: Superintelligent AI

Coming soon: Superintelligent AI

Author: Financial Times October 31, 2023 Duration: 4:10

 In a new series of Tech Tonic, FT journalists Madhumita Murgia and John Thornhill look at the concerns around the rise of artificial intelligence. Will superintelligent AI bring existential risk, or a new renaissance? Would it be ethical to build conscious AI? How intelligent are these machines anyway? The new season of Tech Tonic from the Financial Times, drops mid-November.


Presented by Madhumita Murgia and John Thornhill. Senior producer is Edwin Lane and producer Josh Gabert-Doyon. Executive produced by Manuela Saragosa. Sound design by Breen Turner and Samantha Giovinco. Original music by Metaphor Music. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley.


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From the Financial Times, FT Tech Tonic steps beyond the breathless headlines and gadget launches to explore how technology is fundamentally reshaping our lives, economies, and social structures. This isn't just a series about the latest app; it's a deep, considered examination of the forces driving the digital age and their often unintended consequences. Each episode grapples with the complex interplay between innovation and its real-world impact, drawing on the FT's global reporting expertise to provide clarity and context. You'll hear conversations that dissect the power dynamics in Silicon Valley, investigate the ethical dilemmas of artificial intelligence, and explore how entrepreneurship is being redefined across different cultures. The podcast digs into the substance behind the hype, asking whether emerging technologies truly deliver on their promise to improve society or if they introduce new perils we are only beginning to understand. By weaving together threads from technology, business, and culture, the discussions offer a nuanced perspective that challenges simplistic narratives. Tune in for thoughtful analysis that connects the dots between boardroom strategies, algorithmic biases, and the everyday experiences that define our increasingly connected world.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

FT Tech Tonic
Podcast Episodes
Future weapons: Ukraine’s army of drones [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:06
The conflict in Ukraine has turned into the world’s first fully fledged drone war. The remote-controlled flying machines are now used by both sides for transporting supplies, surveilling the enemy and carrying out attack…
Coming soon: The future weapons of war [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08
New technologies such as drones, robots and AI systems are finding their way into conflict zones around the world. In this season of Tech Tonic, John Thornhill looks at how this new type of warfare is transforming confli…
Making money from AI: After DeepSeek [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:03
The biggest companies in tech are fighting to be the leader in generative AI - even as the path to profitability for the technology remains unclear. So what’s the long game for companies such as OpenAI, Google, and Meta?…
Making money from AI: Searching for a ‘killer app’ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:25
Is generative AI over-valued? At the heart of the generative AI boom has been the premise that a ‘killer app’ for AI will make investors a return on their capital. But it’s unclear how those use cases will actually make…
Coming soon: Will AI ever make any money? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:46
Generative AI is impressive, but can it be profitable? Since the emergence of ChatGPT in 2022, Silicon Valley investors and tech giants have poured billions into developing generative AI models and tools. But when will i…
Tech in 2025: The EU vs Big Tech [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:48
The past two years have seen the EU bring in landmark legislation to curb the power of big tech companies such as Apple, Google and Meta, threatening to break up the companies that do not play by its rules on privacy and…
Tech in 2025: China’s AI ‘Sputnik moment’ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:40
The Chinese company DeepSeek has shocked the world with an AI model that could rival those built by the biggest artificial intelligence companies in Silicon Valley. For years it has been assumed that China’s AI companies…
Tech in 2025: All hail the AI revolution [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:00
Murad Ahmed interviews Reid Hoffman - billionaire founder of LinkedIn, venture capitalist, self-proclaimed AI optimist and generally speaking a big name in Silicon Valley. Hoffman discusses the enthusiasm for artificial…
Tech in 2025: Trump and the tech bros [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:08
Incoming president Donald Trump has shown he’s ready to act decisively on tech, giving a stay of execution to TikTok after the US Supreme Court upheld a ban on the social media platform. But how will he deal with the res…
Tech in 2025: Hi, I’m your AI-powered assistant [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:45
Since the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, generative AI tools have been helping us answer questions, write essays and create AI images and videos. But now, tech companies are promising AI tools that actually complete everyd…