The Big Tech Show

Today we have the extraordinary story of Fr Brendan McGuire, a priest from Bray who runs a parish in Silicon Valley and has become an advisor o Anthropic and other AI giants on spiritual, moral and ethical matters
By day, he says mass. By night, urges reflection and restraint to executives within those AI giants, some of which are now warning of humans being wiped out by the technology.
I sat down with Fr McGuire to talk about his life, his ministry, the idea of computers having souls and whether AI might eventually kill us all.
And that was me talking to Fr Brendan McGuire of St Simon’s church in Los Altos, California. Gavin Hennessy was on sound for this episode and JJ Clarke is the producer of the Big Tech Show.
https://www.independent.ie/service/why-you-can-trust-the-irish-independent/a/98708550.html
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On this episode of The Big Tech Show, Adrian Weckler is joined by Dr. Alan Eustace, an assistant professor at the School of Law in Trinity College Dublin, to explore how AI is changing third level education. They discuss students relying on AI to complete coursework, the challenge of assessing genuine learning and how universities can adapt their approach. Eustace explains how Trinity is using research trails, document versions and oral assessments to verify students' work. They also consider whether heavy reliance on AI could weaken critical thinking and ultimately change how we value university degrees.
https://www.independent.ie/service/why-you-can-trust-the-irish-independent/a/98708550.html
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Apple has unveiled its first foldable iPhone, but is the eye watering price justified? On this episode of The Big Tech Show, Adrian Weckler talks to Ben Wood, chief marketing officer with FDM CCS Insight about the iPhone Duo, its book style design and whether Apple can make foldables mainstream.
They discuss the phone's impressive screen, camera compromises and the changing cost of smartphones as AI drives up demand for memory and chips. They also explore Apple's new direction under CEO John Ternus and the rise of ambient AI, including concerns about devices that can listen, record and remember what happens around us.
https://www.independent.ie/service/why-you-can-trust-the-irish-independent/a/98708550.html
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Irish tech veteran Annrai O’Toole believes fears about AI becoming a threat to humanity are overblown but says we should be far more concerned about how the technology is affecting society today.
On this episode of The Big Tech Show, Adrian Weckler talks to the Iona Technologies co-founder about AI, regulation, Ireland’s technology sector and his latest venture, VCola. They discuss why AI systems remain fundamentally probabilistic, the risks of relying on them for important decisions, and why enterprise software needs to be precise and reliable.
https://www.independent.ie/service/why-you-can-trust-the-irish-independent/a/98708550.html
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On this episode of The Big Tech Show, Adrian Weckler is joined by Emanuel Maiberg, journalist and co founder of 404 Media, to explore how AI companies are buying up old and rare books for training data.


They discuss reports of books being physically cut apart and scanned, why obscure manuals and textbooks are particularly valuable to AI companies, and what could be lost when printed material is destroyed.


Maiberg also explains how 404 Media tracked a shipment using an AirTag and uncovered evidence of books being scanned and destroyed at an Amazon warehouse.


https://www.independent.ie/service/why-you-can-trust-the-irish-independent/a/98708550.html
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.