For Tech’s Sake – Details, episodes & analysis

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Elaine Burke speaks to Riham Al Faqih, development and outreach director with MIFTAH, a civil society organisation based in Palestine, about digital rights violations committed against Palestinians. Their conversation took place shortly after an internet blackout in Gaza, and highlights how Palestine has become a testing ground for the advancement of surveillance tech. 

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Despite all our “wireless” connectivity and “cloud” computing, the internet we enjoy today relies on extensive cables that cross seas and oceans, and our island on the edge of Europe has had a crucial role to play in this global network, both in the past and present. In this episode, we get a history lesson in telecommunications from Deryck Fay, author of Connecting A Nation, who appears alongside Elaine in the upcoming documentary, The Cable that Changed the World. We also follow this development to the present day, and examine Ireland’s continued critical position in protecting the internet’s infrastructure.

The Cable that Changed the World will air on RTÉ One, August 12th at 9.35pm. You can connect with Deryck Fay at DFIT.ie and pick up a copy of his book online or in stores. And check out ForTechsSake.info for links to some of the stories we discussed here.

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CrowdStrike learned some valuable lessons in software deployment recently – lessons that it should have known already, arguably, as they would be concerned golden rules and best practices. Jenny and Elaine talk through the software disaster that was, and the ill-advised gesture of goodwill that back-fired on CrowdStrike. They also have a public service announcement regarding how X is sneakily assuming your consent for training AI for Grok and xAI.

For links to the stories discussed in this episode, check out ForTechsSake.info.

CONTENT NOTE: This episode contains swearing.

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In this episode, Elaine and Jenny look at the risks of working with robots – and it’s not just that they might steal your job. For this discussion, they are joined by Tom Deegan, a health and safety consultant at Mackin EHS who has become the go-to guy for risk assessments in workplaces introducing robotics and cybernetics, ensuring that the bots behave and everyone is safe. (You might even say he’s a robo-cop.)

You can find out more about Mackin EHS at MackinConsultancy.com or connect with Tom on LinkedIn. And check out ForTechsSake.info for links to some of the stories – and the many robots – we discussed here.

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This week we are celebrating Irish techin’ legends Réaltra and Dr Lisa Heffernan, for their roles in the ESA’s Ariane 6 rocket launch and LISA mission, respectively. We also have new names for our recent tech bugbears: aggressive eventing and the AI sludge populating the internet.

For links to the stories discussed in this episode, and videos of a giant robot and terrible images generated by AI, check out ForTechsSake.info.

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We often look at the mental and emotional effects of technology on For Tech’s Sake, and this episode we have expert help in understanding it all in the form of cyberpsychologist Dr Nicola Fox Hamilton, a lecturer on the topic at IADT.

You can follow Nicola on Instagram @nicolafoxh and on X @foxnic, and check out her work on her website, NicolaFoxHamilton.com. And head to ForTechsSake.info for some relevant links and resources.

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It’s a bold title for an episode in which Elaine didn’t come prepared, but thank god we have Jenny, who’s calling out Perplexity’s plagiarism and hailing the creator of OneMillionCheckboxes.com. And while Jenny is in a trance ticking boxes on the internet, Elaine is also mesmerised by a phenomenon she calls ‘TikTok hands’. She’s also got a terrifying tale of robots with human-like skin and Billy Roll faces.

For links to the stories discussed in this episode, and images of horrifying robot skin, check out ForTechsSake.info.

CONTENT NOTE: This episode contains swearing.

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Algorithms – they’re everywhere! But what the hell are they, how much influence do they wield and what makes them tick? This episode we’re joined by Megan Nyhan to explain it all.

Megan is a PhD researcher at D-Real where she is working on a framework for designing ethical and trustworthy AI recommender systems. Be sure to find her on LinkedIn if you are interested in Encode Justice and AI 2030. And head to ForTechsSake.info for all the links and resources for this episode.

CONTENT NOTE: This episode includes some discussion on eating disorders, and if you are affected by or seeking support on these issues, check out these resources from Bodywhys.

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We’ve got all the AI updates covered in this episode, from Apple Intelligence and elephant intelligence to user backlash and self-driving car crashes. And we end with a shout-out for legendary computing pioneer Lynn Conway, who passed away earlier this month.

For links to the stories discussed in this episode, check out fortechssake.info.

CONTENT NOTE: This episode contains some swearing.

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