Crashed
In the Crashed podcast, hosts Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker explore the intersections of technology with politics, business, and society. The show focuses on the UK tech landscape, offering a smart, nerdy take from two journalists. It aims to make sense of complex tech issues and their broader implications.
Episodes
Green energy is cheaper so why drill for gas?
We tried to make a positive-news-only episode of Crashed and ended up talking about climate change, drilling in the North Sea, the collapse of societal norms, and a lot about a receipt printer for reasons only co-presenter Chris Stokel-Walker knows. Co-presenter Alex Hudson and Chris celebrate Crashed's first birthday with a look at how tech has already made life better and how it might be abo
Should we let AI kill people?
Nobel Peace Prize winner Beatrice Fihn helped pioneer efforts to achieve a treaty-based ban on nuclear weapons. She's now turned her attention to the use of AI in warfare. Presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker discuss with her how AI is already being used on the battlefield, the parallels with nuclear disarmament and just how much the Geneva Convention stands up to scrutiny. The docum
The farlands of TikTok 'where predators meet'
***Trigger warning: difficult discussions about sexual predators and child abuse take place in this episode.***The TikTok farlands are what media studies professor Jessica Maddox calls “the end of the internet where things get weird. You’ve left the mainstream and taken a wrong turn.” This wrong turn is regularly just a weird, glitchy nightmare of surreal AI but there is a darker piece to this puz
Everyone should own their own chatbot agent
In this episode, Alex Hudson and Chris explore the chaotic intersection of AI, military technology, and the future of media and society, sharing insights from recent research and personal anecdotes.keywords: AI, military tech, quantum computing, media, society, innovation, future trendskey topicsAI and military technologyQuantum computing advancementsMedia consumption and long-running seriesThe ec
50 things you should know about AI
Crashed is celebrating its 50th episode, which is silly. Also silly is choosing to celebrate it by trying to fit 50 things you need to know about AI in a single episode. But we did it. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being part of Crashed and making it into the ridiculous thing it has become. If you want cake, email us and we'll try to send you some.In this episode, Alex Hudson and
Q&A special: AI's relation to the nuclear bomb, the solution to spam email and one impossible question
In this special Q&A episode, presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker explore the complex and often alarming intersections of AI, government influence, privacy, technological innovation, and much more besides. They discuss recent developments, historical parallels, and the future implications of AI and tech in society.Keywords: AI, government influence, privacy, technology, innovation, r
The weaponised selfie and image-based abuse
Chayn founder and CEO Hera Hussain joins Alex Hudson and guest presenter Dr Carolina Are to discuss the complex issues surrounding image-based abuse, consent, and digital safety, especially in conservative cultures and diaspora communities. She highlights the importance of nuanced policies, community impact, and technological solutions.Also in the episode, have we finally reached late-stage algori
The influencers won. Now what? (a Taylor Lorenz's Power User v Crashed collab)
In this episode, Alex Hudson and Taylor Lorenz explore the evolving landscape of influence, AI, and digital regulation, discussing the impact of technology on society, politics, and media. They delve into the future of AI, the role of influencers, and the challenges of regulation in a rapidly changing digital world.Follow Taylor Lorenz's Power User on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/
Getting paid to train AI to replace you
In this episode, Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker explore the latest developments in AI, social media trends, and the future of warfare, delving into the ethical, societal, and technological implications of these rapid changes.KeywordsAI, social media, warfare, technology, ethics, future of work, TikTok, Vine, Ukraine, autonomous weaponsKey topicsAI in warfare and defenseThe resurgence of short
The death of the computer keyboard
In this episode, Bloomberg columnist Dave Lee joins hosts Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker to discuss if the computer keyboard is on its last legs. Only around half of users see it as a primary device and 20% don't use it at all. What's the future of interfaces, and will typing be entirely unnecessary?We explore the future of interfaces, the role of writing and AI, and the cultural implications
Quantum technology will change everything
Quantum is about to change the world, so we’re told. It will make computers exponentially faster. It will challenge the cryptographic foundations that underpin security. It has the potential to fundamentally reshape the world, similar to the shift from before the web to after. According to Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger of cat-owning/not-owning fame, quantum mechanics requires an entire
Is Andy Burnham really the TikTok prime minister?
Presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker discuss "The UK’s first TikTok prime minister", and if Andy Burnham really is channelling New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani as he hit social media. Other ministers, including Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood talking about small boat crossings, or AI minister Kanishka Narayan talking about Backing British while eating a strawberry, are following suit.&n
Lampposts could be spying on you... really!
A lampost with facial-recognition capability has been announced. Why? We don't know. But we'll try and find out. In this episode, presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker explore the latest developments in surveillance technology, AI mishaps, and the implications for privacy and civil liberties. Our guest, Professor Pete Fussey, shares insights from his extensive research on surveillance sys
The death of British science, innovation and technology (department)
In a week of a new prime minister, an OpenAI agentic “hack” and France banning social media for under-15s, presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker have a lot to get through.They’re joined by investigative journalist Ben Smoke, who has spent the last 18 months investigating alleged corruption in AI policy and the Labour government. This episode delves into the transparency, conflicts of
The Meta narrative: Instagram, shadowbanning, Meta Glasses, and AI redundancies
Meta is having a moment, laying off 10% of its staff with the help, it's alleged, of AI while maintaining a 40% profit margin. In this episode, we explore the latest developments in Instagram shadowbanning, how Kylie Jenner's Meta Glasses partnership could cause problems, what the Muse Image and NameTag controversies say about Zuckerberg's mindset. social media, and does what copyright is left in
What does Burnhamism mean in practice? And is the answer just AI everything?
The next prime minister is probably Andy Burnham. And this means Burnhamism, Manchesterism and devolution are all hot topics. But what does that mean for economic growth? Technological innovation? And the UK’s second cities catching up. In this episode, presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker talk to Tom Forth about regional economic disparities in the UK, the impact of devolution, and
Does AI need a “kill switch”?
Sarah Breeden, the Bank of England’s deputy governor for financial stability, has talked about the potential need ot a “kill switch” for markets because agentic AI may force regulators to rethink how the financial system is governed. Presenters Alex Hudson and Christ Stokel-Walker try to unpick the detail from the fantastic tabloid headlines. Also, could we be facing the end of the need
The week the world asked the Internet for ID
Britain is changing prime minister again, which would be funny if the policy consequences were not so bleak. So this week on Crashed, Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker ignore the Westminster cosplay and ask the question that actually matters: what tech agenda does the next government inherit?From under-16 social media bans to VPN age-gating, facial age estimation at the border, AI regulation, di
Social media ban could mean more state surveillance
In this episode, presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker delve into the complexities of social media regulation, government policies on youth online safety, and the influence of AI at the G7 summit. They explore the implications of recent policies, the role of framing in public opinion, and the future of tech regulation.They're joined by Genevieve Broadhead, global industry lead at cloud da
Royal Mail can't even deliver parcels to the Post Office
Royal Mail can't even deliver mail to Post Offices... and there's literally no way to speak to a Parcelforce customer service operator directly, no matter how hard you try. Wasn't the delivery revolution meant to make everything better? The regulator keeps fining them for all the targets being missed. Presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker talk about expensive stamps, the demise of Post Of
Elon Musk’s trillion-dollar gamble and the extended reality (XR) of it all
This episode explores the recent experiences at South by Southwest (SXSW) London, the state of XR and AI markets, and the implications of upcoming IPOs in the tech industry, including the $135-a-share gamble with SpaceX that would make it the largest IPO ever and worth nearly $1.8 trillion. Hosts Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker share insights, critiques, and future predictions about the c
Shadow banning on social is real (and so is the AI Pope)
This episode explores the complex issues of shadow banning, content moderation, and the influence of AI and religion on digital society. Featuring Dr. Carolina Are, of the LSE, presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker get deep into platform policies, free speech, and the moral implications of AI development.Oh, and what “don’t be evil” did (or didn’t mean) to Google, how North Korea might be
HS2: How difficult is it to build a £100bn railway?
Britain’s next-generation high-speed rail network (HS2) was going to lay 530km of track, offer speeds of up to 225mph, cost around £33bn, and launch in 2026, when it was announced in 2012. Now in 2026, it’ll cost up to £103bn, be under half the length (225km), slower, and won’t be completed until, potentially, 2043. It’s gone laughably wrong. Even the government calls it “the world’s mos
Shein takes on Temu in fast fashion showdown
Shein, the fast-fashion brand accused by many of stealing designs and ignoring copyright, accuses fast-fashion brand Temu of stealing designs and ignoring copyright. What is going on? And what does this mean for the future of copyright law?Presenters Alex Hudson get into that, the latest developments in AI regulation, the ongoing UK and EU legislative efforts, and whether Minstrels belong in popco
Surveillance state expands as police roll out AI facial recognition
Presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker explore the rise of surveillance technology, particularly by police, with investigative journalist Mark Wilding, of Liberty Investigates. They also discuss digital ID systems, what self-sovereign identity would mean in practice, why nobody should say “purdah” any more, and the cultural significance of moustaches.Keywords: surveillance, digital ID
Who wins in a fight between Elon Musk and Sam Altman?
The trial between Elon Musk and Sam Altman has reached the courtroom. Well-known philanthropist Musk claims that OpenAI, which was set up as a charity, has been stolen, is no longer open source and is sufficiently non-profit. The tail is wagging the dog, Musk has said.Presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker look at how this case might actually have a huge impact on the future of AI, the fut
Pollsters recording AI respondents rather than humans
Presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker explore the emerging role of AI in polling and market research, examining its accuracy, ethical considerations, and future potential. Damian Lyons Lowe, CEO of polling company Survation, shares insights on synthetic data, the challenges of traditional polling methods, and how AI might reshape the industry.So can public polling work without the public?
Has Spotify killed the musical star?
The UK has not created a new music genre in a decade, DJ/producer Lo-Wu tells Crashed. As AI now accounts for around 40% of music uploads, what happened to innovation in music? Where’s the next garage, the next grime, the next dubstep coming from? If streaming doesn't work, and live music doesn't work, if record sales don’t work, and if AI music, as Nick Cave says, is a “grotesque mockery of
Bitcoin's secrets unveiled, space junk discarded, and the world's oldest tortoise duped
Crashed, the tech podcast about everything else, discusses how the creator of Bitcoin, the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto, has been unveiled as British entrepreneur Adam Back. Is it correct? Also, presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker discuss Elon Musk’s power in the space race, and just how that impacts the race to Mars.We also discuss the Iran/Israel/US peace deal and how it tech ma
Will journalists survive AI? (featuring Sophia Smith Galer)
Welcome to Crashed, the tech podcast about everything else. Today, that means the myth of journalism collapsing, the myth of politicians being anywhere near up-to-date with anything, and the myth that data centers are fineWe’re currently in the web traffic apocalypse, the jobpocalypse, the quantum apocalypse, and the wars on many fronts actual apocalypse, with the media collapsing, trust in democr
Instagram and YouTube do damage teenagers' mental health
Presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker dissect the many court cases facing Facebook/Instagram/WhatsApp owners Meta and Google-owned YouTube. What does a multi-million dollar fine mean? What about many of them? Also, the AI battle for supremacy (pun intended) takes a number of steps forward in a few days, and what on earth happened to Google Zero? Oh, and something about the Lord Volde
The AI 'jobpocalypse' is coming... as is the AI apocalypse between the US and China
Presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker are joined by journalist Ellen Scott to talk about the so-called “jobpocalypse” caused by AI and how the workforce is changing. Alex and Chris also cover how encryption has become a dirty word at Meta and just what a Cold War between the US and China looks like in the new age of AI.Follow Ellen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellencscott/?hl=e
Taylor Lorenz makes the positive case for social media
Is social media a good thing or a bad thing? Presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker and guest tech journalist Taylor Lorenz get into the details of mental health, online censorship. algorithmic overreach, and just what Pivot's Scott Galloway says about it all. Follow Taylor on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/taylorlorenz To support, go to https://bit.ly/CrashedPodcast or search Crashed po
"Tierification" means things are getting worse, more expensive, or both... and it starts with airport lounges
Presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker interview financial psychology expert and journalist Hanna Horvath about the ‘tierification of everything”, discuss how airport lounges could be a metaphor for the downfall of the whole global economy, report from on the ground in Barcelona at Mobile World Congress (MWC) and try to work out if a robot is fighting someone but nobody is around to watch
How did the right wing win the internet?
Presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker are joined by academic Dr. Robert Topinka to discuss why the Right is so much better at the internet than the left, why AI could beckon the downfall of the British government, how social media is beckoning the downfall of democracy, and the internet beckoning the downfall of liberal thought… until the fightback.To support, go to https://bit.ly/Crashed
What's wrong with the internet? Can somebody fix it?
Everything online feels a little bit off. Whether it’s deepfakes, the great meme-reset, or analogue communities posting about it on Instagram, presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker try to get to the bottom of what’s wrong with the internet. Also, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that deepfakes are to be thought of as the same category of crime as terrorism, and we discuss
The end of doomscrolling? the end of Airbnb? And the end of free WiFi?
Presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker try to work out how addictive social media (and doomscrolling) really is, try to understand how Airbnb bookings keep going up despite governments trying to shut them down, and a couple of exclusives about the BBC and just how bad Chris's WiFi is. To support, go to https://bit.ly/CrashedPodcast or search Crashed podcastFollow:Alex: www.instagram.com/al
The UK’s first AI "Tech Town", Germany's 24 years of censorship, and one million satellites in space?
Presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker try to understand why Barnsley has been picked as the UK’s first Tech Town (spoiler: it’s a Reform target seat, so Alex thinks it might have something to do with it). They speak to Barnsley council leader Sir Stephen Houghton. Also… campaigner, performer, and all-around titan Paulita Pappel talks about tech innovations, censorship, and the patria
Is AI Kool-Aid and FOMO driving UK tech policy?
Presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker interview data politics and social justice academic Dr Elinor Carmi, of City St George’s, about the government wanting 10 million workers to get trained on AI… run by Google, Amazon, and others. Is this a good thing, or, as some critics say, letting economic growth supersede democratic values?Follow Dr Carmi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/el
AI could mean "the eyes of the state... on you at all times" according to the home secretary
Presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker discuss how Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has sparked a media storm over her views on the surveillance state. Her view? "To achieve, by means of AI and technology, what Jeremy Bentham tried to do with his Panopticon. That is that the eyes of the state can be on you at all times.” We also discuss what Trump is doing in Iceland... we mean Gre
AI girlfriends to fix loneliness, AI content to fix journalism, and AI influencers to fix politics
Presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker investigate how AI is transforming our relationships, from best friends to husbands and wives and even therapists, the death spiral of the global media and whether it’s AI to blame, and how Keir Starmer is attempting to influence the influencers.This includes an interview with the author James Muldoon, whose new book Love Machines looks at how AI is c
Elon Musk plays with fire, politicians play in sandboxes, and nobody's playing at CES
Crashed is the tech podcast about everything else, Today, hosts Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker discuss whether the controversy around Grok (Groktroversy if you will) and AI-editing images is really the beginning for real regulation, the end of X, or both? They also discuss British politicians playing with AI sandboxes, and all the latest updates from CES.Follow us:Instagram: Alex: https:
What happens in 2026? From LinkedIn's death to quantum meh and flying cars, we have it all
Welcome to Crashed, the podcast about how tech is at the centre of everything, whether that be economics, politics, philosophy, ethics, community, law, religion, education, or literally anything else. Presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker take 10 predictions on what’s coming for tech in 2026. From trying to work out if anyone still uses LinkedIn, to whether podcasting might have its
It's Christmas! A sincere thank you and the best bits
Welcome to Crashed, the podcast about how tech is at the centre of everything, whether that be economics, politics, philosophy, ethics, community, law, religion, education, or literally anything else. Presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker take a second over Christmas to thank everyone for listening across the first 10 episodes of a ridiculous experiment before fobbing listeners off b
Is every politician being paid by an AI firm now?
Presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker discuss whether a MAGA whisperer will become US ambassador for the sake of a tech deal, our reflections on whether anything actually happened in 2025, and whether there are any politicians who aren’t working for an AI firm.Follow us:Instagram: Alex: https://www.instagram.com/alexhuds Chris: https://www.instagram.com/cstokelwalker TikTok
Will social media kill democracy or will democracy kill social media?
Presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker decide whether Australia banning social media for children under 16 is a good or bad thing, whether “fascion” right wing fashion means that fascism is inevitable, and if under 10% of the world’s population living in free democracies means that everything is doomed. Follow us:Instagram: Alex: https://www.instagram.com/alexhuds Chris: htt
Pop music gets AI treatment, crypto bros gets comeuppance, and who pays for ransomware attacks
What happens when all music is automated? When all our currency is on the blockchain? When all the tech companies own everything? Presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker unpack whether a single crypto bro can be responsible for the Bitcoin crash, if music really can be automated, and whetehr the overreporting of the reactions to the AI bubble could make the bubble popping more likely.&
A quantum Budget problem , the “digital erasure of queer communities”, and who wins the AI chip race?
Chancellor Rachel Reeves only mentioned AI once and didn’t mention quantum at all in the Budget. Why? Wasn’t quantum meant to be a shining light for British innovation? Presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel Walker explain why. Also, we’re joined by Dr. Carolina Are and Maedb Joy to discuss what campaigners are calling “the digital erasure of queer communities” across Instagram, Facebook and
Is Nvidia too big to fail? Could cookie banners cost billions? And is fast fashion finally getting slow regulation?
Presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker try to work out whether Nvidia being bigger than the entire British economy is a good thing (spoiler: it isn't), if tech has any way to innovate its way away from monopoly powers (spoiler: it doesn't) and the EU has finally put a price on how annoying cookie banner pop-ups are (spoiler: it's billions) Follow us:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1
Britain's Trump-like Project 2029 could define next General Election, the ChatGPT vote? And how this all relates, somehow to Mr Blobby
Crashed: the technology podcast about the ethics, the policy, the politics, the business of tech. In this episode, hosts Alex Hudson and Chris Stoker Walker uncover a Trump-like plot to bring the 900-page Conservative Christian Project 2025 doctrine to the UK. They also try to pick apart the tech that could influence the next General Election, the latest on the EU/US/China AI wars and how thi
The EU's €300 billion bet, all the unicorns keep leaving, and the secret climate revolution
All the unicorns keep moving to America, and the EU is willing to spend €300 billion to try to stop that from happening. Presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker get to grips with whether it's too little too late, if a "think boring" strategy might be successful, and whether a green energy revolution might have already happened, despite what politicians might tell you. Follow us:Instagram:&n
The AI cold war, NVIDIA hits $5 trillion, and the LinkedInification of everything
Presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker try to work out what Microsoft taking a multi-billion-dollar cut in its OpenAI stake means in practice; whether that means general AI is closer (or further away) than ever; and how it all impacts the AI Cold War… which may not even be a war. Follow us on Instagram: Alex: https://www.instagram.com/alexhuds Chris: https://www.instagram.co
The bubble of AI slop gets even sloppier
In this conversation, presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker discuss the AI bubble, AI slop, and the supposed demise of human contact. Harvard PhD candidate Shae Omonijo joins the pair to discuss her thesis on the implications of AI-generated content and the importance of high-quality data. You'll also get insight into what AWS outages mean, what attention spans are doing to algorithm
4chan and the one person at Ofcom with a sense of humour
In the inaugural episode of the Crashed podcast, hosts Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker delve into the complexities of tech journalism, the implications of the Online Safety Act, and the rising threats of cyber attacks and ransomware. They discuss the recent fine imposed on 4chan for non-compliance with the Online Safety Act, highlighting the challenges of regulating a platform known for its an
