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Tech Life discovers and explains the ways technology is changing our lives, wherever we are in the world. We meet the people with bright ideas for rethinking the way we work, learn and play, and get hands-on with the products they dream up. We hold tech giants to account for their huge power to affect our lives, and ask who wins, and who loses, in the technology transformation. Tech Life is your g... more

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Artwork for Tech Life

Latest Episodes

What exactly is a supercomputer for? How does it work? And who gets to use it? Tech Life spends the day at the UK’s national supercomputer to get the answers. We get a rare tour of one of the most powerful computers in the country, and speak to scien... more

Security researchers have got an AI model to break its own rules and give advice on terrorist attacks and assassinations. They talk to Tech Life about their findings. Plus, indie game developer Jonathan Blow on why he spent 10 years inventing his own... more

How far has China come in developing AI technology? And what challenges does it face? An expert helps us understand the thinking in Beijing.

Also this week: what can fifty thousand autonomous machines tell us about the future of robotics? And cuttin... more

AI is developing rapidly. What should parents and children make of it all? And how can young people navigate school and future careers when AI is becoming increasingly important? We speak to an expert who has written a new book about these issues.

A... more

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Recent Guests

Jonathan Blow
Award-winning game designer known for Braid and The Witness
Independent developer
Episode: How an AI was tricked into breaking its own rules
Peter Garraghan
Founder of MindGuard, security researcher
MindGuard / Lancaster University
Episode: How an AI was tricked into breaking its own rules
Rebecca Arcesati
Co-head of the Science, Technology and Innovation Program at the Mercator Institute for China Studies
Mercator Institute for China Studies
Episode: Gauging China's AI strength
Finn Bradshaw
Head of Digital at the ICC
International Cricket Council
Episode: Gauging China's AI strength
David Pinn
Chief Executive
Brain Corp
Episode: Gauging China's AI strength
Daniel Susskind
Writer and economist; Gresham Professor of Business
What Should My Children Do? / University affiliations mentioned in interview
Episode: Growing up in the age of AI
Sarah Nasseray
Co-founder of Quinn
Quinn (menstrual health tech)
Episode: Growing up in the age of AI
Carol Alexander-Reed
Airbus Global Community Impact Manager
Airbus Foundation
Episode: Growing up in the age of AI
Harriet King
From Valorant; AI/traffic tech expert
Valorant
Episode: The copyright extortionists

Hosts

Chris Vallance
Host of Tech Life; BBC World Service contributor; long-standing technology journalist.
Shona McCallum
Co-host and journalist with a focus on tech life segments; experienced reporter within the program.

Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars from 465 ratings
  • Ads are too loud

    Don’t mind ads but don’t understand why the volume increase when ads play , instead of just listening to the ads I skip them because of the annoyance. I enjoy the podcast but whoever manages the ad insertion need to fix the volume issue

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    mentesalertas
    United States2 months ago
  • Dreadful BBC drivel, shame.

    This podcast replaced Digital Planet which was very interesting and had great presenters until it started to push the BBC’s propaganda. Tech Life has taken over and it’s now just wall-to-wall boring chat with lifeless presenters. The BBC pushing their political views and dressing it up as a Tech show. Unsubscribed.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    colwright3
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • There's a real potential here based on the topics chosen, but sadly there is virtually no depth of analysis or questioning of the subject on the part of the hosts beyond the most perfunctory and introductory of levels.

    Most of the episodes are instead taken up by tangential personal stories from the presenters coupled with listener mail which is read to everyone with their thanks, but so far none has been actually investigated or answered.

    Podcast Addict
    3
    MCMH
    a year ago
  • Very poor journalism

    Disappointing from the BBC. Nothing new, no insights, no in depth reporting, just very basic tech stories that are either old or reported much better elsewhere. Recommend “Somewhere on Earth: The Global Tech Podcast” instead.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Vilnius girl
    United Kingdom2 years ago
  • Hahahaha!

    What a shame - after more than four years this BBC podcast has received only 11 ratings.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    phuk azure
    New Zealand2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners appreciate concise, topical episodes with expert perspectives.
Discerning and practical tech coverage, with strong guest expertise.
Mixed audience sentiment around production quality and accessibility across platforms.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#205
United States/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#30
United Kingdom/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#95
Australia/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#198
Italy/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#226
Germany/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#8
United Arab Emirates/Technology

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Gauging China's AI strength
Q: What are the different AI paradigms China is pursuing besides large language models, and how close is the country to artificial general intelligence?
She explained that China is exploring multiple paradigms beyond LLMs, including robotics and approaches toward AGI, with government support accelerating foundational research while not biasing strictly toward scaling LLMs.
Gauging China's AI strength
Q: I began by asking Rebecca Arcesati if China was really behind the United States in AI development, and if so, would they catch up?
Rebecca noted that China is behind on some metrics but is catching up quickly, with the US maintaining a lead in computing power and access to cutting-edge fabrication equipment limiting China's gap.
Growing up in the age of AI
Q: And let's just focus on children then for a moment. Do you think it's possible to future-proof them to new technologies like AI?
It's uncertain to predict exact roles, but education should emphasize core skills—literacy, numeracy, critical thinking—and expose students to AI as a tool, not a replacement, while leveraging AI for personalized learning.
Growing up in the age of AI
Q: So tell us about your book then and what did it set out to do?
The book examines how AI changes work and society and asks how all of us can prepare for an age of AI by focusing on adaptable education, critical thinking, and practical applications that empower people rather than leaving them behind.
What if AI doesn’t speak your language?
Q: And what problem are you trying to solve with your LINGUA initiative?
The problem is access—without AI in their own language, people risk falling behind in the digital and AI-enabled world, creating a digital divide that Lingua aims to close by collecting data in underrepresented languages and enabling training of models.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Tech Life

What is Tech Life about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Tech Life explores how technology reshapes work, learning, and daily life across the globe, featuring hands-on product stories, industry debates, and interviews with researchers, entrepreneurs, and practitioners. Episodes commonly cover emergent tech like AI, autonomous systems, health tech, and sustainable innovations, often pairing technical depth with practical implications for policy, business, and everyday users. A standout trait is bringing diverse expert perspectives—from academia, industry, and activist communities—into accessible conversations, sometimes spotlighting user-centered tech and ethical considerations. This mix makes it valuable for listeners who want timely tech context, actionable insights, and thoughtful discussions a... more

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Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Tech Life. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Tech Life and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

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How many subscribers and views does Tech Life have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Tech Life has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Tech Life?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Tech Life:

1. BBC Inside Science
2. More or Less
3. CrowdScience
4. Unexpected Elements
5. FT Tech Tonic

How many episodes of Tech Life are there?

Tech Life launched 13 years ago and published 377 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Tech Life?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

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What guests have appeared on Tech Life?

Recent guests on Tech Life include:

1. Jonathan Blow
2. Peter Garraghan
3. Rebecca Arcesati
4. Finn Bradshaw
5. David Pinn
6. Daniel Susskind
7. Sarah Nasseray
8. Carol Alexander-Reed

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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