The Times Tech Podcast
The Sunday Times
From Silicon Valley to The City, tech journalists Danny Fortson and Katie Prescott bring you the inside track on the new industrial revolution.Co-hosted from San Francisco and London, this weekly podcast delivers the latest news and freshest interviews with the people creating the future.As West Coast Correspondent for The Sunday Times, Danny is on the ground to witness the technological whirlwind that first roared out Silicon Valley. From London, working as The Times' Technology Business Editor, Katie has seen the waves of boom and bust rolling through one of the world's financial capitals. Together they explore this strange new world of high finance and tech giants, explaining how we got here and what is just around the corner. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 27, 2026 • 42min
Forget your employees – how hard is your AI agent working?
Dean Forbes, CEO of Forterro, rose from a tough South London upbringing to lead a major European industrial software firm. He discusses AI as the biggest career opportunity he has seen. Short takes cover how AI changes software economics, the risk of overreaction and token-driven culture, and using AI to augment precision work while protecting people and compliance.
5 snips
Mar 20, 2026 • 42min
Will this AI actress be the next Oscar winner?
Eline van der Velden, actress-turned-AI creator and CEO of Particle 6, discusses her AI actor Tilly Norwood. She explains Tilly’s creation and technical workflow. They explore reactions from Hollywood, ethical questions like consent and labeling, and how AI tools change production costs, creativity and industry roles.
4 snips
Mar 13, 2026 • 39min
The $14 billion Nscale story and how founders succeed in Silicon Valley
Alice Bentinck, CEO of Entrepreneurs First, a talent investor that backs founders before they have ideas. She discusses how to build the next generation of tech founders. Conversation covers EF’s people-first model, traits they look for in founders, differences between US and European startup cultures, and bold deep-tech bets like space robots and brain interfaces.
28 snips
Mar 9, 2026 • 31min
Bonus episode: Will quantum computing change everything?
James Palles-Dimmock, CEO of Quantum Motion and builder of silicon-based quantum processors, talks scaling quantum hardware and the race to commercialise it. He covers how qubits work, promising early uses in materials and chemistry, timelines for useful results, and the tech and funding challenges of competing with big tech. He also discusses encryption risks and why silicon could win on cost and scalability.
5 snips
Mar 6, 2026 • 40min
Anthropic vs Pentagon: How AI is changing war
Sean Gourley, founder and former CEO of Primer and Pentagon adviser, speaks on AI in intelligence and defense. He discusses the Anthropic–Pentagon clash and company red lines. He recounts how AI is already embedded in military ops. He explores choices companies face, employee pushback, and the global race for AI-driven military advantage.
19 snips
Feb 27, 2026 • 36min
Inside Nvidia: The company powering the AI gold rush
Stephen Witt, author and technology journalist, discusses Jensen Huang and Nvidia’s rise. He traces the company’s 30-year transformation, explains CUDA’s developer lock-in, and describes Nvidia’s culture and leadership. Conversation covers data-center demand, geopolitics with China and US policy, talent risks, and whether current AI fervour is sustainable.
8 snips
Feb 23, 2026 • 26min
Bonus episode: Agentic AI explained – The next phase of artificial intelligence
Lilia Christoff, Partner for AI and Data at PwC, advises financial firms on AI strategy and governance. She explains what agentic AI is, how multiple agents coordinate and make decisions, and how systems can be designed and overseen. Short-term rollout challenges, cost and build-vs-buy trade-offs, oversight at scale, and workforce shifts are discussed in clear, practical terms.
14 snips
Feb 20, 2026 • 39min
AI safety meets OpenClaw – what India’s AI summit tells us
Karina Prunkle, researcher at France’s INRIA and Oxford affiliate, led the International AI Safety Report. She discusses India's summit spotlight, OpenClaw's viral agent and its acquisition, agentic AI risks like data access and liability, and the gaps between fast tech change and policy. The conversation highlights safeguards, labour shifts and whether global summits can steer AI safely.
10 snips
Feb 13, 2026 • 42min
Nikola Mrksic on PolyAI, Super Bowl ads, and the future of voice AI
Nikola Mrksic, Co‑founder and CEO of PolyAI and former Siri team member, talks about building voice assistants for real customer calls. He discusses why voice AI finally works. He describes handling accents and live-call realism. He reflects on job impacts, working with NVIDIA, and a Gordon Ramsay ad showcasing customer-experience tech.
12 snips
Feb 9, 2026 • 35min
Bonus episode: The ‘secret sauce’ of success - With Octopus Energy CEO, Greg Jackson
Greg Jackson, co-founder and CEO of Octopus Energy and creator of Kraken software, talks about building modern utility software from a failed game designer past. He recounts spotting 'spaghetti stacks', scaling Kraken to handle massive data, and why separating Kraken unlocks global licensing. He also reflects on financial resilience, leadership in uncertainty, and plans for a future listing.
