Somewhere on Earth: The Global Tech Podcast

🌍 AI’s Carbon and Water FootprintArtificial intelligence feels invisible, but its infrastructure is massive. From data centres and specialist servers to cooling systems and power grids, AI is driving a surge in energy and water use around the world. Now research suggests global AI systems may already produce carbon emissions comparable to a city like New York, while the water required to run and...

The latest on Iran: nationwide communications blackout deepensIranian authorities imposed an unprecedented communications blackout as protests spread nationwide. The internet monitoring group NetBlocks shows that connectivity remains at around one percent of normal levels, with mobile data, phone calls, text messages and fixed-line services all heavily disrupted. Digital rights groups say the scal...

Could AI Chatbots Influence Elections? Could a chatbot change the way you vote? In this episode, DPhil candidate Kobi Hackenburg from the Oxford Internet Institute explains how AI is already capable of persuading people on political issues. From short, personalised conversations to fact-packed arguments, these systems can shift opinions in minutes - and the effects can last for weeks. We explore t...

🔐AI, Ransomware, and the Collapse of Digital TrustCyber threats in 2025 have escalated fast.  AI is now industrializing cybercrime. Deep-fake fraud, targeted phishing, and automated ransomware have driven a 50% surge in attacks. The consequences are no longer digital. Hospitals have shut down. Factories have stopped. Critical infrastructure is being quietly pre-positioned for future disruption. T...

How AI Is Targeting Malaria at Its SourceDrones, AI and a radically targeted approach to malaria prevention - this week Ania speaks with Mary Yeboah Ansawa from Ghana’s Sora Technology about locating larvae-filled puddles before mosquitoes grow up to bite. From cutting pesticide use to saving field teams days of work, we dive into how this tech could reshape malaria control across Africa. India’s...

This week on Somewhere on Earth, we explore two groundbreaking ideas: taking back control of your online creativity and transforming fast-fashion waste with the power of fungi. 1️⃣ Rebuilding a Human InternetRabble (Evan Henshaw-Plath), Co-creator of Nostr Divine Rabble, Twitter’s first engineer, unveils Divine - a new six-second video platform that rejects algorithms, bans AI-generated slop, and...

1️⃣ Clean, Green Ethical AIAt Web Summit Lisbon, Janet Adams of SingularityNET and the Artificial Superintelligence Alliance explains how truly ethical, climate-friendly AI is becoming in reality. With renewable-powered data centres, AI-optimised green batteries and decentralized computing via Kudos, the upcoming Cocoon AI puts users back in control of their data. Janet also unveils ASI Chain, a s...

Decentralised, green-powered AIWe explore Cocoon, the new privacy-first AI network launched by Telegram’s Pavel Durov, and hear from Brittany Kaiser on why it could change how AI is built and powered. Supporting neurodivergent students anywhereNeuroIdentify is helping teachers in remote regions spot neurodivergent traits and personalise learning. Co-founder and CTO David Cabral explains how it wor...

From Web Summit Lisbon, Somewhere on Earth explores how Poland is becoming Central Europe’s tech hub. Meet the innovators behind AI-powered greenhouses, a nationwide mobile ID app, and a virtual fertility clinic—all transforming everyday life. Poland is rapidly growing as a tech hotspot, with startups raising €180M last year alone. Its skilled workforce, creative mindset, and engineering heritage...

From Web Summit's main stage to global expansion, discover how Poland became the undisputed tech heart of Central Europe. We explore the startups securing record funding and breaking into markets from the Middle East to the US. Join us as we uncover the story behind the boom.  🔗 Listen and follow "Somewhere on Earth" for more stories from the front lines of global innovation. #WebSummit #PolishTe...

Recorded live at Web Summit Lisbon 2025, this episode of Somewhere on Earth: The Global Tech Podcast captures the AI led future of work. Carrol Chang, CEO of Andela, Nico de Luis, COO & Co-Founder of Shakers and Petra Sundell, CEO and Founder of Upbeater tackle the big questions: How do we harness AI instead of fearing it? What does "AI fluency" truly mean? And how can leaders build resilient, glo...

The future of work is shifting fast. In Episode 110, we explore how teams are evolving in an AI-driven world—becoming more global, more hybrid, and increasingly augmented by intelligent systems. Discover what it really means to build borderless, AI-ready teams, how roles are changing, why “AI fluency” goes far beyond using tools, and what skills will matter most in the months ahead. We also dive i...

Reporting live from Web Summit Lisbon 2025, where AI dominates every stage, one story stands out amid the tech frenzy: Belarus 2.0. In an exclusive interview with Belarus President-in-exile, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, we learn how thousands of Belarusian tech founders, forced to flee persecution and imprisonment, are now launching startups across Europe, keeping innovation alive despite being in ex...

This week, Somewhere on Earth: The Global Tech Podcast heads to Web Summit 2025 — where over 70,000 innovators gather to define what’s next in tech. Forget the headlines about private jets and billion-dollar startups. We’re looking for the hidden heroes of innovation — founders from the world’s remotest corners bringing tech for good ideas to life. From breakthroughs in AI and quantum computing to...

After last week’s AI takeover, Somewhere on Earth returns to real voices and real data. This week, we dive into a groundbreaking new study analysing more than 10 million social media posts, confirming what many suspected — fake news really does spread faster than the truth. Joining Ania is Professor Mohsen Mosleh from the Oxford Internet Institute, who unpacks how political bias, algorithmic desig...

Why is social media designed to reward misinformation? The answer might not be what you think. New research analyzing over 10 million posts reveals a startling paradox that holds true across every major platform, from X and BlueSky to LinkedIn: lower-quality news consistently attracts more engagement than higher-quality content. And the most surprising part? It’s not just the algorithms—it’s us. T...

This week on Somewhere on Earth: The Global Tech Podcast, we’re letting AI take the lead. Using Google Notebook LM, we’ve built a full episode from some of our favourite past shows - letting algorithms choose what to play and how to tell the story. The result is a bold experiment in AI-generated podcasting, exploring how technology is reshaping work, food, and education around the world. We dive i...

This week on Somewhere on Earth: The Global Tech Podcast - we’re handing the mic to AI. For the first time ever, we’ve created a full episode using Google Notebook LM - built from some of our favourite past shows. The algorithms are choosing what to play… and even what to say. Will it work? Or will the machines miss the mark? Find out in this special AI-generated edition - dropping Tuesday, Octobe...

From major global businesses to personal accounts, cyberattacks are no longer rare - they’re a part of everyday life. On this week’s episode of Somewhere on Earth, we explore how individuals and nations are fighting back. Learn practical tips for securing your passwords, discover what “digital housekeeping” really means, and get an inside look at how Ukraine is defending itself whilst training the...

From high-profile cyberattacks on UK businesses to how you can protect yourself online — this week, Somewhere on Earth takes a closer look at cybersecurity. 🎙️ Host Ania Lichtarowicz talks to: Packed with practical advice and real-world insight - essential listening for anyone living life online. 🎧 Available Tuesday on all major podcast platforms and via the Evergreen Podcast Network. #CyberSecur...

In this special edition of Somewhere on Earth, host Gareth Mitchell teams up with Andrew Grill, the “Actionable Futurist” behind the Digitally Curious podcast, for a thought-provoking deep dive into how artificial intelligence is reshaping our lives, work, and creativity. Joined by digital culture pioneer and SOEP Studio Expert Ghislaine Boddington, the trio explore what it really means to live —...

Exciting news from Somewhere on Earth and Digitally Curious! We’re teaming up with Andrew Grill, the Actionable Futurist behind the Digitally Curious podcast, for a special edition all about AI, society, and the real-world impact of digital change. Andrew brings practical, no-nonsense insight into how to use the future — not just imagine it. Plus, Ghislaine Boddington joins us to share her unique...

Artificial intelligence isn’t just coding our future - it’s saving lives right now on Ukraine’s frontlines. New research that’s being presented at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2025 in 2025 shows how AI-driven evacuation systems, real-time medical data streaming, and autonomous rescue vehicles are reshaping combat medicine amid more than 390,000 reported injuries since Russia’...

Somewhere on Earth: The Global Tech Podcast explores how innovation shapes real lives worldwide. In this episode, we uncover how AI is helping Ukrainian medics evacuate and treat wounded soldiers from the frontline - technology in action where every second matters. Plus, Dr. Julia Shaw joins us to discuss her new book Green Crime, and how tech is being used to expose crimes against our planet. Lea...

🌐 Crisis of Social Media Moderation - 16m in EU without checks online 14% of EU based X users have no human content moderators in their languages, according to new research from the Oxford Internet Institute. 16 million EU-based users of X don’t have moderators for their national language.  Hate speech in English is often flagged and removed quickly. But in many other languages - including Italia...