The Artificial Human

AI startups in New York are offering free home cleaning—as long as it’s okay to have everything filmed in order to train robots. Aleks Krotoski and Kevin Fong ask: how far off is a ChatGPT moment for robotics?
Robots are nothing new, and online you’ll find endless videos of cutting-edge machines doing everything from backflips to breakdancing. So with all the breakthroughs in other areas of AI, why aren’t we seeing robots on our streets and in our homes?
We hear from Grace Shao in Hong Kong, who’s been observing recent efforts in China to push the frontiers of robotics. While Subramanian Ramamoorthy, Professor of Robot Learning and Autonomy at the University of Edinburgh, explains just how complicated it is to get robots functioning in our messy human world—and why our expectations may need to be lowered, at least for now.
Presenters: Aleks Krotoski and Kevin Fong
Producer: Peter McManus
Soound: Laura Hay

Aleks Krotoski and Kevin Fong explore a curious contradiction: why do we bristle at AI‑generated emails and writing, even while many of us quietly rely on them ourselves? What does this reveal about how we judge not only the output of these technologies, but the people who use them — while still excusing our own behaviour?
To unpack this double standard, they begin with Katrina Collier, recruitment expert and author of The Robot-Proof Recruiter and Reboot Hiring. Nowhere is this tension more visible than in the quest find a job. Applicants are increasingly turning to AI to polish and promote their CVs, frustrating hiring managers who, in turn, are often all too happy to use AI to sift through a flood of applications on their behalf.
They then hear from Michael Hallsworth, Chief Behavioural Scientist at the Behavioural Insights Team, originally the UK government’s ‘Nudge Unit’. He argues that AI disrupts one of our core measures of value: effort. When we believe something has been created with little labour, we instinctively see it as worth less. Using AI can create mixed feelings, and while we can find rationalisations to let ourselves off the hook for using it, that doesn't mean we'll excuse others.
Presenters: Aleks Krotoski and Kevin Fong
Producer: Peter McManus
Researcher: Rachael O'Neil
Sound: Fraser Jackson

Aleks and Kevin look beyond the headlines to uncover why Silicon Valley is seeing thousands of job losses across some of its biggest tech companies, as the industry pivots towards AI. What does this shift mean for entry-level roles that AI can now perform? And has the rise of “vibe coding” effectively eliminated the need for junior coders? Is this an early sign of AI taking over the very roles that built it?
Aleks and Kevin speak to Alberta Devor, software engineer and tech content creator, about how the role of a coder is evolving and what this means for those starting out in the industry. Then, Rachel Arthur, Chief Learning Officer at the Raspberry Pi Foundation, explains why learning to code still matters for young people in an increasingly AI-driven world.
Presenters: Aleks Krotoski and Kevin Fong
Producer: Rachael O'Neill
Sound: Niall Young

The 2026 World Cup is just around the corner, with England and Scotland heading overseas to play for their countries. FIFA has called it the most technologically advanced tournament yet, with all 48 teams given access to the same AI tools, designed to democratise elite football intelligence.
So how will this year’s competition look, with every team now using AI as part of their training and strategy? And could it help us win the World Cup?
We’ll be speaking to Stuart Fenton from Reading FC, the first Head of AI appointed by an English club, who’ll explain how they’re using AI to transform the club and push towards the Premier League.
Plus, we’ll hear from Agnieszka Antoszkiewicz, CEO of OrdoStrategica and former Integrity Manager at FIFA, on how AI-driven changes are impacting the game, and whether the rules and safeguards are keeping up.
Presenters: Aleks Krotoski and Kevin Fong
Producer: Rachael O'Neill
Sound: Niall Young

Aleks Krotoski and Kevin Fong examine the decisions shaping the adoption of military AI in the United States and beyond, asking whether governance is keeping pace — or whether responsibility is being left to the technology’s creators.
A recent dispute between Anthropic and the Pentagon revealed that commercial contracts, rather than clear policy, are helping to define how AI can be used by the military. But the disagreement was less about ethics than about timing, with the military pressing ahead to adopt systems before their developers considered them sufficiently reliable.
Dr Brianna Rosen reflects on what this tells us about the lack of detailed policy, regulation and legal frameworks governing AI in warfare, while journalist and author Katrina Manson explains what we can learn from the origins of the US military’s core AI programme as explored in her book,Project Maven: A Marine Colonel, His Team, and the Dawn of AI Warfare.
Presenters: Aleks Krotoski and Kevin Fong
Producer: Peter McManus
Sound: Fraser Jackson and Gav Murchie