FT Tech Tonic

Apr 14 2025 216 ep. 23 mins 20.4k

FT Tech Tonic Podcast artwork

We are in the midst of a digital revolution, where the line between our physical world and cyberspace is blurring. Tech Tonic is the show that investigates the promises and perils of this new technological age.

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Coming soon: The future weapons of war

Apr 14 2025 1 mins

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 conflicts in places such as Ukraine and Gaza. He also explores how start-ups in the US and Europe are challenging the established defence industry with their cutting

Making money from AI: After DeepSeek

Feb 17 2025 22 mins

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? And what does the rise of Chinese start-up DeepSeek mean for AI companies with massive valuations?In the second episode in our series on the business of AI, the

Making money from AI: Searching for a ‘killer app’

Feb 10 2025 24 mins

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 money for businesses that deploy them. Plus - is the problem a lack of AI take-up among employees? We hear from Joe Richardson, head of operations at Octopus

Coming soon: Will AI ever make any money?

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 it start generating returns? The FT’s artificial intelligence editor Madhumita Murgia investigates efforts to develop a ‘killer app’ for AI, the use of AI in t

Tech in 2025: The EU vs Big Tech

Feb 03 2025 33 mins

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 competition. But not everyone agrees with its approach. Murad Ahmed speaks to Aura Salla, former lobbyist for Meta and now an MEP in Brussels, who says EU rules wi

Tech in 2025: China’s AI ‘Sputnik moment’

Jan 28 2025 25 mins

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 were trailing in the wake of US rivals such as OpenAI, creator of ChatGPT. Murad Ahmed, the FT’s technology news editor, is joined by the FT’s China technolo

Tech in 2025: All hail the AI revolution

Jan 27 2025 32 mins

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 intelligence sweeping the Valley among both start-ups and Big Tech companies, as well as the investors like him pumping billions of dollars into them.He also t

Tech in 2025: Trump and the tech bros

Jan 20 2025 38 mins

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 rest of the tech sector and how much influence will Elon Musk wield? The FT’s technology news editor Murad Ahmed is joined by Washington correspondent Joe Miller,

Tech in 2025: Hi, I’m your AI-powered assistant

Jan 13 2025 27 mins

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 everyday tasks on our behalf. Murad Ahmed is joined by Madhumita Murgia, the FT’s AI editor, who has been speaking to Dario Amodei, chief executive of Silicon Va

Coming soon: How will technology shape the world in 2025?

In a new season of Tech Tonic, the FT’s technology editor Murad Ahmed asks some of the big questions likely to shape the tech world in 2025, with the help of big names from the tech industry and the FT’s expert reporters and columnists. We’ll hear about the AI industry’s plans for the next generation of tools powered by generative AI, and how Donald Trump’s presidency - a