Somewhere on Earth: The Global Tech Podcast

Medical Devices, Critical Materials and the Race to Build Circular Devices
Digital healthcare is producing a fast-growing mountain of electronic waste. Glucose monitors, wearable sensors and medical devices can contain lithium, copper, gold and rare earth elements, yet many are discarded or incinerated rather than repaired, reused or recycled. The DiCE project has spent four years investigating how to keep these devices, components and materials in circulation for longer, without compromising patient safety. 

Can Healthcare Cut Carbon Without Becoming Less Resilient?
Healthcare faces another huge challenge: reducing emissions while dealing w...

Myanmar, Customer Data and Human RightsAfter Myanmar’s military coup in 2021, authorities demanded access to sensitive customer information held by a major Norwegian telecommunications company. Data linked to customers suspected of opposing the military was handed over, according to allegations in a new civil case. Now, more than 1,200 customers are part of a legal action in Norway seeking damages over the sharing of their data. A Norwegian court has ruled that the case can proceed as an opt-out class action. We examine what happened, what the lawsuit alleges, and the wider question of whether technology companies have a responsibility to pr...

The future of AI, self-improving systems, cybersecurity, AI for Good and the fight for global AI regulationHow powerful can artificial intelligence become — and can governments, industry and international organisations keep pace? We examine the rapid development of generative, autonomous and agentic AI, the cybersecurity risks that come with increasingly powerful systems, how AI can be used for good around the world, and whether global standards and regulation can provide meaningful guardrails without stopping innovation.The programme is presented by Ania Lichtarowicz with David Girvin, Bilel Jamoussi and Louise Humpington.Production Manager: Liz TuohyEditor: Ania Lichtarowicz Subscribe and listen to the ad...

10 Years of #KeepItOn: Documenting the Global Fight Against Internet ShutdownsFor a decade, Access Now’s #KeepItOn campaign has been documenting and fighting government-led internet shutdowns around the world. We look at why governments keep cutting people off, the impact on communities, elections and human rights, and what ten years of monitoring and campaigning has taught us. With shutdowns still increasing, has the fight to keep the internet on become more important than ever?Lawyer less Contracts: When AI Starts Making Our Legal DealsAI is changing the way contracts are created — but what happens when it moves beyond writing them and star...

AI in Healthcare: 1,357 Medical Devices Cleared - Only 3 Tested on Patients
A new PLOS Digital Health study reveals a huge gap between AI medical devices being cleared for use and evidence that they actually improve patient outcomes. We look at what FDA clearance really means, who is being left out of clinical trials, and why countries such as Uganda could face particular risks.

Apple Spyware: What Your Threat Notification Really Tells You
An Apple spyware warning can be frightening but it doesn't necessarily mean your phone has been successfully hacked. We speak...

Everything-to-Grid Energy: Turning Electric Cars, Batteries and Homes into Power StationsWhat if your electric car could do more than get you from A to B? Professor ZhaoYang Dong explains how electric vehicles, home batteries, solar panels and buildings could become active parts of the electricity grid – helping balance renewable energy and demand.From Broken Beans to Better Food: Bean Possible’s Waste-to-Protein TechnologyAt Web Summit Brazil, I meet Gabrielle Gautério, CEO of Bean Possible, a start-up turning broken beans into protein, fibre and starch for use in everything from bread and biscuits to sauces and yoghurt. Could upcycling food waste...

Brazil’s AI-Powered Technology Helping Women Escape Bureaucracy and Access SupportFrom Web Summit Rio, we hear about a company that uses technology and AI to help women experiencing domestic violence to navigate Brazil’s complex public-service system. Its platform digitises paperwork, protective orders and social assistance, helping women access support more quickly, including women in remote communities who rely on WhatsApp and mobile data.Cyber Judgment: Why Stopping Could Be Our Best Defence Against AI ScamsAs generative AI makes phishing and social-engineering attacks more convincing, cybersecurity may no longer be simply about recognising the warning signs. We explore Cyber Judgment; a hu...

Flying Boat Could Transform Amazon TransportIn the Amazon, where rivers are often the only roads, journeys can take hours or even days. Brazilian company Aero River is developing a “flying boat” that travels just metres above the water at speeds of up to 150 kilometres per hour, potentially transforming access to healthcare, education, business and essential services in remote communities.Endometriosis, AI & the Future of Women’s HealthEndometriosis affects around 190 million women and girls worldwide, yet diagnosis can take years. The Endí App and platform is using AI and personalised health tracking to identify individual patterns, helping users understand their symptoms and pot...

🦾 Affordable Bionic ProstheticsA Brazilian start-up is using 3D printing and muscle-controlled technology to develop affordable bionic arms, giving amputees greater independence at a fraction of the cost of traditional prosthetics.🧠 Can AI Diagnose Autism Earlier?Researchers have created an AI-powered screening platform that analyses home videos and eye movements to help identify children at risk of autism from as young as 16 months, potentially reducing years of waiting for specialist support.✈️ Turning Waste Oil into Green Aviation FuelCould used cooking oil and the native macaúba palm help decarbonise aviation? We explore a breakthrough Brazilian technology converting low-quality oils into sustainable aviation fu...

💡 Bringing Light to the AmazonCan a recycled plastic bottle change lives? At Web Summit Rio 2026, Ania Lichtarowicz meets Rodrigo Eidy, President of Litro de Luz Brasil, to discover how simple solar-powered lighting systems are bringing safe, sustainable light to remote Amazon communities. It's a story of innovation, sustainability and technology creating opportunity where electricity has never reached.🤖 Robotics Giving People a Second ChanceAlso in this episode, Ania speaks with Maria Wecker, founder and CEO of Scale Reabilitação, about robotic rehabilitation technology that's helping stroke survivors and people with neurological injuries regain movement and independence. From affordable healthcare innovation to the futu...

Can AI predict a tunnel collapse before it happens?As cities grow and become more crowded, we are increasingly building underground. But tunnelling beneath busy urban areas can be dangerous, with unstable ground, changing geological conditions and the risk of damage to buildings and infrastructure above. We explore how AI is bringing together geological and construction data to predict potential tunnel problems up to seven days in advance.What if your paediatrician was just a WhatsApp message away?At three in the morning, a child has a fever but how do parents know whether to wait, give medication or rush...

MIT’s flying and swimming robot takes inspiration from diving birds to explore the oceans of tomorrowMIT engineers have created a remarkable aerial-aquatic robot that can swim underwater, launch through the surface and fly through the air, just like diving birds. Professor Raphael Zufferey explains how nature inspired this breakthrough, why moving between water and air is such a complex engineering challenge, and how these robots could help scientists monitor oceans, collect data and explore places too dangerous for traditional vessels.Vaillant UK on heat pumps, innovation and the technology driving the transition to cleaner heatingAt East Mids Tech Week, we...

Are AI Writing Assistants Quietly Shaping Public Opinion?A new study suggests that the AI tools many of us use every day on platforms like LinkedIn, X and Google may be doing more than improving our grammar and polishing our posts. Researchers found that AI writing assistants can subtly alter the direction of our messages on contested issues—and, over time, those tiny changes could influence collective opinion at scale. Joining us are Professor Sandra Wachter and Kai Rawal to discuss the implications for democracy, online discourse and whether AI is becoming an invisible force shaping what we think and sa...

435 Million Gig Workers, Secret Pricing Systems & The Global Fight for Transparency in the Digital Economy

The World Bank estimates there are more than 435 million online gig workers worldwide, yet most have little visibility into the algorithms that determine what they earn. In this special episode of Somewhere on Earth: The Global Tech Podcast, recorded live at Web Summit Rio, we explore who really benefits from the platform economy and why transparency, worker rights and data ownership have become global issues. Joining host Ania Lichtarowicz are Len Sherman, Adjunct Professor at Columbia Business S...

435 Million Gig Workers, Secret Pricing Systems & The Global Fight for Transparency in the Digital Economy

The World Bank estimates there are more than 435 million online gig workers worldwide, yet most have little visibility into the algorithms that determine what they earn. In this special episode of Somewhere on Earth: The Global Tech Podcast, recorded live at Web Summit Rio, we explore who really benefits from the platform economy and why transparency, worker rights and data ownership have become global issues. Joining host Ania Lichtarowicz are Len Sherman, Adjunct Professor at Columbia Business S...

How AI Agents Could Change Digital Payments
Brazil's Pix payment system has already transformed how millions of people move money. Now, fintech company Iniciador is exploring what happens when artificial intelligence can initiate payments on behalf of users. We speak with Chief Product Officer Gustavo Bressler about AI-powered transactions, security, regulation and the future of digital commerce.

Can Innovation Create More Value from the Amazon?
We also meet Tomaz Martins from Maçaix, a Brazilian foodtech company using technology, traceability and regenerative business models to reinvent açaí production. From specialty açaí t...

How AI Agents Could Change Digital Payments
Brazil's Pix payment system has already transformed how millions of people move money. Now, fintech company Iniciador is exploring what happens when artificial intelligence can initiate payments on behalf of users. We speak with Chief Product Officer Gustavo Bressler about AI-powered transactions, security, regulation and the future of digital commerce.

Can Innovation Create More Value from the Amazon?
We also meet Tomaz Martins from Maçaix, a Brazilian foodtech company using technology, traceability and regenerative business models to reinvent açaí production. From specialty açaí t...

How Trust Became Fintech's Most Valuable Asset As artificial intelligence reshapes financial services, technology alone is no longer enough to stand out. Denise Johansson, co-founder and CEO of Enfuce, explains why trust is becoming one of fintech's most powerful growth strategies. From startup beginnings in Finland to powering payments for global brands including Porsche, Octopus Energy and Circle K, she reveals how credibility, responsible innovation and strong customer relationships can create a competitive advantage in the AI era.

Can Drones Restore the World's Forests?
Reforestation is attracting billions in climate investment...

How Trust Became Fintech's Most Valuable Asset As artificial intelligence reshapes financial services, technology alone is no longer enough to stand out. Denise Johansson, co-founder and CEO of Enfuce, explains why trust is becoming one of fintech's most powerful growth strategies. From startup beginnings in Finland to powering payments for global brands including Porsche, Octopus Energy and Circle K, she reveals how credibility, responsible innovation and strong customer relationships can create a competitive advantage in the AI era.

Can Drones Restore the World's Forests?
Reforestation is attracting billions in climate investment...

AI takes on marine wildlife traffickers
Wildlife trafficking doesn't just involve rhino horn and elephant ivory. Marine species such as shark fins, seahorses and sea cucumbers are also smuggled around the world, threatening vulnerable ecosystems. Researchers in Australia have developed an AI system that can identify these species in CT scans of luggage and parcels. We speak to Dr Vanessa Pirotta about how the technology works and how it could help customs officers detect illegal shipments. 

Can AI become every small business owner's accounting assistant? Many s...

AI takes on marine wildlife traffickers
Wildlife trafficking doesn't just involve rhino horn and elephant ivory. Marine species such as shark fins, seahorses and sea cucumbers are also smuggled around the world, threatening vulnerable ecosystems. Researchers in Australia have developed an AI system that can identify these species in CT scans of luggage and parcels. We speak to Dr Vanessa Pirotta about how the technology works and how it could help customs officers detect illegal shipments. 

Can AI become every small business owner's accounting assistant? Many s...

The Tiny Liquid-Metal Pump That Could Transform Robotics

Soft robotics is one of the fastest-growing fields in technology, drawing inspiration from nature to create machines that are flexible, adaptable and safer for human interaction. In this episode, we explore a breakthrough liquid-metal micro-pump that could help eliminate the bulky compressors traditionally needed to power soft robotic systems. The technology could pave the way for advanced wearable devices, responsive prosthetics, immersive virtual reality experiences and even future medical applications, bringing us closer to a world where robots are softer, smarter and more integrated into everyday life.
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The Tiny Liquid-Metal Pump That Could Transform Robotics

Soft robotics is one of the fastest-growing fields in technology, drawing inspiration from nature to create machines that are flexible, adaptable and safer for human interaction. In this episode, we explore a breakthrough liquid-metal micro-pump that could help eliminate the bulky compressors traditionally needed to power soft robotic systems. The technology could pave the way for advanced wearable devices, responsive prosthetics, immersive virtual reality experiences and even future medical applications, bringing us closer to a world where robots are softer, smarter and more integrated into everyday life.
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Recorded during rehearsals for the very first East Midlands Tech Week, this special edition of Somewhere on Earth: The Global Tech Podcast celebrates 10 years of the Energy Research Accelerator (ERA) and the Midlands’ extraordinary history of innovation.

From Derby, birthplace of the modern factory, to Leicester’s DNA fingerprinting breakthroughs, Nottingham’s MRI and ibuprofen innovations, and Lutterworth’s jet engine legacy, the East Midlands has long shaped the technologies that changed the world. Now, a new generation of innovators is building the future of clean energy, hydrogen, sustainable transport and net zero industry.

In this episode...

Recorded during rehearsals for the very first East Midlands Tech Week, this special edition of Somewhere on Earth: The Global Tech Podcast celebrates 10 years of the Energy Research Accelerator (ERA) and the Midlands’ extraordinary history of innovation.

From Derby, birthplace of the modern factory, to Leicester’s DNA fingerprinting breakthroughs, Nottingham’s MRI and ibuprofen innovations, and Lutterworth’s jet engine legacy, the East Midlands has long shaped the technologies that changed the world. Now, a new generation of innovators is building the future of clean energy, hydrogen, sustainable transport and net zero industry.

In this episode...

Refrigeration’s Climate Problem and the Startup Trying to Solve It
Refrigeration is responsible for a huge share of global carbon emissions but Colombian startup NanoFreeze believes biotechnology could change that. Founder and CEO Isabel Pulido explains how her company’s bio-nanotechnology is designed to dramatically reduce energy use in cooling systems, improve cold-chain access and lower costs for industries from food transport to pharmaceuticals. We also discuss why she’s been selected for the Cartier Women’s Initiative, one of the world’s leading programmes for female entrepreneurs. 
Why Is Tech Still Failing People with Disabi...