AIs on the road

AIs on the road

Author: BBC World Service July 8, 2025 Duration: 26:29

This week on Tech Life, we speak to the company behind an AI safe driving device that's fitted to thousands of delivery vans and fleet vehicles around the world. Using cameras and an onboard AI system, it assesses how safely a vehicle is being driven. And it warns both the driver, and their manager, if it spots a serious safety risk inside or outside the vehicle.

Also this week, we find out about cargo drones parachuting humanitarian aid into parts of central Africa. And what can children tell us about AI ?

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You can use the same contact details to send us any questions you've ever wanted to have answered about quantum computers. We're hoping to gather up your questions and ask an expert about quantum computing for a future episode.

Presenter: Chris Vallance Producer: Tom Quinn Editor: Monica Soriano

Image: A photo taken inside a car of the road ahead and other road traffic outside. Credit: egon69/Getty Images


From the studios of the BBC World Service comes Tech Life, a global conversation about the tools reshaping our everyday existence. This isn't just a show about new gadgets; it's a deep dive into the human stories behind the silicon. Each episode takes you to the front lines of innovation, introducing the thinkers and tinkerers whose bright ideas are redefining how we work, learn, and connect. We go beyond the press release, getting hands-on with emerging products to understand their real-world impact. But Tech Life also tackles the harder questions, scrutinizing the immense power wielded by tech giants and examining who truly benefits-and who gets left behind-in this relentless transformation. The podcast serves as an essential guide to a future that is constantly being written, offering clarity and context on the forces that are actively making and remaking our world. Tune in for thoughtful, international reporting that connects the dots between a line of code and a change in your daily life.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Tech Life
Podcast Episodes
The AI pothole hunter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:29
Drivers and cyclists know the dangers of potholes and broken road signs. A Swedish company is fitting vehicles with cameras, and using AI to spot potential problems and defects. We speak to the CEO to find out how it wor…
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Duration: 26:31
An anti-snoring device is being trialled as a potential solution to sleep apnoea, a condition which affects millions and can have wide-ranging consequences on daily life. We speak to the team behind the trial. Also on th…
The workers in the engine room of big tech [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:29
We look at revelations about outsourced tech workers in Kenya, and try to find out why more than a thousand of them have been made redundant.Also this week: are you getting the best out of artificial intelligence? Could…
A hologram to remember: Pam and Bill’s love story [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:27
Pam Cronrath tells her deeply personal story of creating a lifelike speaking hologram of her husband, Bill, after he passed away. Pam wanted to honour a promise she'd made to Bill, for a "super wake". And so Bill's holog…
Sharing the road with driverless cars [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:29
Chris Vallance finds out about research to help self-driving cars communicate with other road users. Hear what happened when he came into contact with a virtual vehicle!Also this week: you've probably seen the app on TV…
The problem with AI [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:28
Can we trust AI? Its answers are not always correct. And it only knows what it's been trained on, so some of its responses can contain bias. Tech experts offer us some solutions.Also this week: digital twinning is helpin…
Putting polluters in court [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:29
Climate change is making devastating extreme weather more common. Tech Life's Yasmin Morgan-Griffiths explores the science that could help communities take polluters to court.Also this week: we look at whether the boom i…
How will AI help my doctor? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:29
We discuss how AI could help health professionals work better, detect diseases earlier and even change the way people around the world look after themselves. Also this week: Shiona McCallum interviews a businesswoman who…
Screen time ‘rewiring our brains’ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:30
We dig through the evidence on the effect of screen time on babies and young children, with the help of some parents and experts. And after hearing our story of a woman who got her voice back with the help of AI, a liste…
I pretend to be OnlyFans models online [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:29
Behind some OnlyFans models making money from chatting to paying subscribers is the unseen human labour people who pretend to be the models and chat on their behalf. We speak to a woman in the Philippines about her jobs…