The Interface cover art
Podcast · 22 episodes

The Interface

by BBC · English

What happens when technology collides with real life? Hosted by BBC technology journalist Thomas Germain and social media expert Professor Jessica Maddox, The Interface dives into the stories, trends, apps, gadgets, algorithms and internet obsessions shaping how we live, work, think and connect. From AI and influencers to memes, data leaks, cybersecurity and the weirdest corners of the web, The Interface explores what happens when technology collides with real life. Cutting through the hype, the hosts unpack the platforms, products and online phenomena that increasingly shape our choices, our culture and our sense of self - whether we like it or not! Sharp, insightful and often very funny, The Interface examines our relationship with technology in all its messy, brilliant, absurd and world-changing glory. Along the way, it tackles one of the biggest questions of our age: what kind of future are the likes of Elon Musk, Chat GPT and all the other Silicon Valley giants building, and does anyone really want to live there?

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Should we let AI read our break-up emails?The episode of The Interface asks whether AI should be allowed to read our break-up emails and other deeply personal messages, using Meta’s new personalized AI agent Muse as the main case study.30 Sep 2026 · 33 min · 15 chapters
Is tech ruining the World Cup?The episode asks whether tech is improving the World Cup and broadens into how AI may create an “infinite work week” and more precarious gig work. Guests: None.25 Jun 2026 · 38 min · 16 chapters
Teens banned from social media - what next?The Interface episode “Teens banned from social media - what next?” (BBC) discusses the UK’s announced plan to ban under-16s from social media, possible curfews for 16–18, and whether it will…18 Jun 2026 · 37 min · 19 chapters
Why is AI burying my CV?How AI is reshaping job applications (AI interviews and resume screening), how “carrier pigeon” messaging highlights the psychology of instant messaging, and why Silicon Valley CEOs are making…11 Jun 2026 · 38 min · 21 chapters
What goes on in TikTok's Farlands?The episode of The Interface decodes TikTok’s “Farlands,” a hidden edge of the TikTok algorithm where users discover niche, uncanny “brain rot” and creepypasta-style horror.4 Jun 2026 · 42 min · 17 chapters
Can Pope Leo save us from AI?How Google’s shift to AI “agents” could reduce traffic to the open web (“Google Zero”), whether Pope Leo XIV’s AI encyclical can influence AI governance, and a Roblox child-safety/FTC lobbying update.28 May 2026 · 47 min · 18 chapters
Are we entering a world without screens?The Interface episode debates a “world without screens” via AI-enabled wearables (rumored Apple AirPods with forward cameras) and then shifts to how social media and politics are manipulated through…21 May 2026 · 43 min · 19 chapters
Is AI harvesting your knowledge on the cheap?The Interface episode argues that AI “consumes the world’s knowledge” by outsourcing expertise to low-paid, contract “data workers,” and then pivots to how misinformation and surveillance tech…14 May 2026 · 43 min · 18 chapters
Who is really paying the influencers?The Interface discusses (1) a “secret campaign” funding influencers to promote pro-American AI messaging and fear of Chinese AI, (2) whether using AI makes people less cognitively sharp, and (3)…7 May 2026 · 38 min · 16 chapters
Why is everything a conspiracy?How conspiracy-style thinking spreads online, using a White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting as the example; then how AI and surveillance intersect with work (Meta tracking employees to train AI…30 Apr 2026 · 36 min · 15 chapters
Is your iPhone about to change forever?The Interface episode argues that Apple’s iPhone future may change due to leadership turnover and hardware-first strategy, while AI and attention economies face backlash.23 Apr 2026 · 39 min · 13 chapters
Is the new AI model really too dangerous to release?The Interface (BBC) episode argues AI companies’ “too dangerous to release” warnings about Anthropic’s Claude Mythos Preview may be exaggerated and lack independent verification, while also tackling…16 Apr 2026 · 41 min · 17 chapters
Will algorithms increase your grocery bill?Whether algorithmic/dynamic pricing will raise grocery bills, plus how Microsoft Outlook remains dominant in workplaces and a broader “friction maxing”/neoludism pushback against tech lock-in.9 Apr 2026 · 38 min · 21 chapters
Why Can't People Stop Watching AI Fruit?The Interface discusses (1) the viral AI “Fruit Love Island” TikTok dating show and what it suggests about AI entertainment, (2) a major US court ruling that social media platforms were designed to…2 Apr 2026 · 38 min · 15 chapters
Can we prove we’re real online?The Interface episode about (1) how hard it is to prove you’re human online amid deepfakes, (2) brain-computer interfaces and “digital” neuroscience, and (3) how the Iran war could strain the AI…26 Mar 2026 · 40 min · 20 chapters
What Was Pokemon Go really up to?In this episode of *The Interface*, hosts Karen Hao, Thomas Germain, and Nicky Woolf explore how seemingly innocuous online interactions and games are being repurposed for data collection,…19 Mar 2026 · 36 min · 19 chapters
Will a new law change the internet forever?Tom Germain, Karen Hao, Nicky Woolf12 Mar 2026 · 37 min · 22 chapters
Is AI running modern warfare?The episode discusses the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and military operations amidst rising tensions regarding AI governance, surveillance, and the implications of online betting on…5 Mar 2026 · 37 min · 19 chapters
Is Havana Syndrome really real?In this episode of *The Interface*, hosts Nicky Woolf, Karen Hao, and Thomas Germain delve into the mysterious phenomenon known as Havana Syndrome, ongoing legal battles involving social media…26 Feb 2026 · 36 min · 21 chapters
Can you hack ChatGPT?In this episode of *The Interface*, hosted by Tom Germain, Karen Hao, and Nicky Woolf, the discussion centers around the reliability of AI chatbots, the environmental impact of data centers, and the…19 Feb 2026 · 34 min · 17 chapters
Is your doorbell using AI to spy on you?In this episode of The Interface, hosts Tom Germain, Karen Hao, and Nicky Woolf dive into the implications of Ring's new AI feature, the Search Party, which aims to reunite lost pets with their…12 Feb 2026 · 34 min · 14 chapters
TrailerThe Interface is a podcast by the BBC that focuses on how technology is reshaping our lives and the world around us.5 Feb 2026 · 3 min · 2 chapters