The Times Tech Podcast

Elon Musk’s SpaceX is spending billions on AI data centres, rocket ships and moon ambitions but investors are asking how much it can burn before the bet pays off. Meanwhile, ‘AI slop’ is flooding social media. And new EU rules mean platforms will have to label AI-generated content. But can regulation keep up? Danny Fortson and Mark Sellman discuss SpaceX, Starlink, space junk and the growing fight over AI content online.

Plus, Danny speaks to Ivan Zhao, co-founder and CEO of Notion, about AI agents, the future of work and why his company hired a 16-year-old high schooler.

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Read more: Authors must prove their work is not AI

Producer: Harry Bligh, Marnie Duke, Shabnam Grewal
Executive Producer: Priyanka Deladia
Video Producer: Bronwen Latham
Image: Getty
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A fierce debate is taking place between Silicon Valley and Washington right now.

After the release of KIMI K3 – China’s cheaper and powerful AI model – the Trump administration is showing signs of restricting open-source AI to maintain control over the technology.

Danny Fortson and Mark Sellman, Tech Correspondent for The Times, discuss why tech bosses are worried, what it could mean for America’s lead in AI and whether open-source models could speed up the race to superintelligence.

They also hear from Connor Leahy, CEO of AI safety research company Conjecture, who explains why frontier AI isn't just a superpower – it’s a superweapon.

Should Trump ban open-source models? Get in touch: techpod@thetimes.co.uk

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Producer: Marnie Duke
Executive Producer: Priyanka Deladia
Video Producer: Bronwen Latham
Image: Getty
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OpenAI has revealed that one of their AI agents went rogue during a test and hacked a startup. Hugging Face reportedly had to use an open-source Chinese model to contain the cyber attack.

It comes as Kimi K3, a powerful new Chinese AI model, is challenging OpenAI and Anthropic’s most capable systems on some benchmarks – calling America’s tech dominance into question. Danny Fortson and Katie Prescott discuss what this means for the global AI race and how it casts doubt over OpenAI and Anthropic’s mega IPOs.

But while the rest of the world is racing ahead to build the best AI, Britain’s new Prime Minister Andy Burnham has caused a stir by scrapping the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. Katie explains why the tech community is concerned.

Plus, they hear from James Morgenstern, the founder of MeatLayer, a marketplace where AI bots can hire humans to do small tasks. They talk about whether agents make better bosses than humans, and what the future of work looks like.

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Read more: China’s cheap AI is a real threat to US tech giants
Get in touch: techpod@thetimes.co.uk
Producer: Marnie Duke
Executive Producer: Priyanka Deladia
Video Producer: Max Holden
Image: Getty

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In this bonus episode of The Times Tech podcast, Katie Prescott shares her conversation with will.i.am about what comes after the AI boom. The musician and tech investor says the next big battle will be over personal data, privacy and power. Who owns your data? Where should it live? And can AI agents be built around people’s values and goals, rather than the business models of big platforms?

He's been sharing his views at the recent UN AI for Good Summit in Geneva and told Katie why he believes AI could still be a force for good if it does not repeat the mistakes made by social media.

Contains strong language.

Listen to Part 1 of the interview
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Producers: Shabnam Grewal & Marnie Duke
Executive Producer: Priyanka Deladia
Image: Getty
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Will.i.am is not as worried about AI and artists. He tells Katie Prescott that the "creatives will be alright," but it's "the assistants, the sales clerks, the lawyers, the accountants" that we should be concerned about.

As musicians, publishers and Silicon Valley debate over whether AI should be allowed to train on creative work, the Black Eyed Peas musician and tech investor offers a different take. He says music has always borrowed from what came before – from samplers to bass lines and rhymes. So what changes when machines start borrowing too?

Plus, Danny Fortson and Katie discuss Anthropic’s stark new AI advert, Demis Hassabis’s call for an AI watchdog, and whether governments can keep up with the pace of artificial intelligence.

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Producers: Marnie Duke & Shabnam Grewal
Executive Producer: Priyanka Deladia
Image: Getty

Clip: Claude

Music Credit: Contains a sample of the recording "Billie Jean."
Performed: Michael Jackson,
Written: Michael Jackson.
Published: Sony/ATV Songs LLC o/b/o Mijac Music
Courtesy: Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment.

Music Credit: Contains a sample of the recording "Caribbean Queen - No More Love on the Run”
Performed: Billy Ocean
Written: Billy Ocean, Keith Diamond
Published: Jive Records/ Sony Music Entertainment
Courtesy: Sony Music Entertainment

Music Credit: Contains a sample of the recording "Boom Boom Pow.”
Performed: Black Eyed Peas William Adams (will.i.am), Stacy Ferguson (Fergie), and Jaime Gomez (Taboo)
Writen: William Adams (will.i.am), Stacy Ferguson (Fergie), Allan Pineda (apl.de.ap), and Jaime Gomez (Taboo).
Published: Will.i.am Music Publishing, Jeepney Music, Headphone Junkie Publishing, Tab Magnetic Publishing, and EMI Music Publishing
Courtesy: Interscope Records.
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