PodcastsScienceThe Artificial Human

The Artificial Human

BBC Radio 4
The Artificial Human
Latest episode

47 episodes

  • The Artificial Human

    Will AI replace the people who built it?

    17/06/2026 | 28 mins.
    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 Artificial Human

    3. Can AI help us win the World Cup?

    10/06/2026 | 28 mins.
    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
  • The Artificial Human

    AI: War Machine?: 2. What's driving the military AI policy?

    27/05/2026 | 29 mins.
    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
  • The Artificial Human

    AI: War Machine?: 1. Is AI transforming Warfare?

    27/05/2026 | 29 mins.
    The recent strikes in Iran were planned, executed and assessed with Ai. Aleks Krotoski and Kevin Fong find out how Ai is transforming war and asking is the human still meaningfully in the loop?
    We hear from Keith Dear, ex-RAF intelligence officer and one of the first people to advise Number 10 on the potential of Ai for the military. He'll explain how Ai is being used in decision making in conflict and how its made compatible with international law. While Dr Elke Schwarz lays out the ethical challenges and concerns about the gradual squeezing out of human involvement in the identification and elimination of targets.
    Presenters: Aleks Krotoski and Kevin Fong
    Production team: Peter McManus and Rachael O'Neil
    Sound: Kris McConnachie and Gav Murchie
  • The Artificial Human

    Is AI the future of learning?

    04/03/2026 | 30 mins.
    As part of the BBC's AI Unpacked week Aleks Krotoski and Kevin Fong join an audience of pupils, teachers and education experts to ask if artificial intelligence is the future of learning.
    Recorded at University College London in their bicentennial year, the programme asks how we can use this revolutionary tool to equip the next generation for a future where Ai will be everywhere. 
    The panel features Alex Russell, former head teacher and co‑founder of the charity AI in Education; Professor Sonia Livingstone, social psychologist and member of the UN’s Independent International Scientific Panel on AI; and Dr Tom Chatfield, author and philosopher of technology.
    Presenters: Aleks Krotoski and Kevin Fong
    Producer: Rachael O'Neill
    Sound: Emma Harth and Steve Greenwood
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About The Artificial Human
Every day, we read something new about Artificial Intelligence - it'll take our jobs, it'll teach our kids, it knows more about us than we do ourselves... but how much of that is hype, and how much is, or will be reality? Part of our problem with AI is that it feels impenetrable and mysterious, especially when even those building it aren't entirely sure how it works. In a new series, Aleks Krotoski (The Digital Human, Radio 4) and Kevin Fong (13 Minutes to the Moon, BBC World Service) set out to 'solve' AI. Or at the very least, to answer our questions on all things artificial intelligence-related. These are the questions that really matter to us - is AI smarter than me? Could AI make me money? Will AI save my life or make me its slave? These questions predate the current frenzy created by the likes of Chat GPT, BARD and LlaMA. They've been in our collective psyche ever since the very first thinking machines. Now these fears and excitement are a reality. This series arrives at a critical moment.
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