Dating a chatbot

Presenter Shiona McCallum is joined by technology reporter Paul Carter to look at some of the latest developments in artificial limb tech. Paul talks about his own personal experiences of trying out different prosthetics. Shiona interviews the youngest boy in the world to be fitted with a bionic arm, and his mum. Sierra Leone benefits from a prosthetics project. And would you want an extra robotic thumb ?Presenters: Shiona McCallum with Paul Carter Producer: Tom Quinn(Image: A photo of presenter Shiona McCallum in the Tech Life studio with technology reporter Paul Carter. Credit: BBC)

Lab testing of animals is often used to study diseases, or assess the safety of new drugs or substances before they are trialled on humans. Could A.I. provide a solution ? Also in this edition of Tech Life, woof woof! Can artificial intelligence help us interpret the meaning of dog barks ? And Michael Kaloki reports from Kenya on tech being used by dairy farmers to help them look after their herds.Presenter: Shiona McCallum Producer: Tom Quinn(Image: Portrait photo of a beagle dog. Credit: Getty Images)

What is it like to have an AI boyfriend? We hear about women in China who prefer to date a chatbot over a real person. How can tech be used to unlock the potential of crops - and help with food shortages? And we meet the fashion designer who hopes to fool facial recognition technology with her clothes.Presenter: Shiona McCallum Producers: Tom Quinn and Imran Rahman-Jones(Image: A woman looking at her phone which has hearts coming out of it. Credit: Getty Images)

There are words of warning about facial recognition, biometrics and artificial intelligence - technologies increasingly being adopted by law enforcement worldwide. Also on Tech Life this week, we learn about an African company offering a local alternative to the big electric vehicle manufacturers. Basketball gets into tech. And why we need tech to identify and map where our rubbish goes.Presenter: Shiona McCallum Producer: Tom Quinn(Photo: An illustration of facial recognition on the face of a woman. Credit: Francesco Carta fotografo/Getty Images)

Ahead of the Paris Olympics, Alasdair Keane hears how the organisation behind the event is enlisting an AI platform to tackle online abuse aimed at athletes competing in the event. Also in this episode Shiona McCallum meets the next generation of game designers and we find out about a project in Rwanda to improve the fit of prosthetic limbs.Image: Paris 2024 Olympic Games logo is displayed near the Eiffel Tower (Photo by Chesnot/Getty Images)

Blood tests are part of the process of receiving cancer treatment. But they can be time-consuming and require visits to hospital. A new blood test machine is changing this. The Liberty is a small device that allows patients to take blood tests and upload the results from home without supervision. Lynn Thompson took part in the trial, and she tells Tech Life it's made a huge difference to her life. Also this week, we answer a listener's question about smart glasses. We learn about a project, involving electrolysers and hydrogen cooking stoves, which could improve the health of villagers in rural Nepal. And cutting down on e-waste - we speak to Tech for Troops.Presenter: Shiona McCallum Producer: Tom Quinn(Photo: A still photo of Lynn Thompson with the Liberty blood test device. Credit: BBC)

Customs officers looking for illegally traded elephant ivory face a challenge, because ivory taken from the remains of mammoths is legal. Telling the two apart isn't easy. Now researchers have come up with a new technique using lasers that promises to make ivory identification easier. We speak to two experts involved in the project. Also on Tech Life this week, "The chatbot will see you now". People are more willing to discuss personal health matters with artificial intelligence than real medics. Hear about a community-based solution to the problem of e-waste. And how do you detect crumbling concrete in buildings ? Shiona McCallum reports on a tech solution.Presenter: Chris Vallance Producer: Tom Quinn(Photo: An illustration of a woolly mammoth. Credit: Leonello Calvetti/Science Photo Library/Getty Images)

This week we're taking a global look at TikTok, and some of the problems the video sharing platform has been facing. Also on Tech Life, you want to keep in touch with your child, but is there an alternative to giving them a smartphone ? We hear from video gamers in South Africa. And a female tech boss from Brazil shares advice on how others can follow her success.Presenter: Shiona McCallum Producer: Tom Quinn(Photo: The TikTok logo on a mobile phone screen. Credit: Chesnot/Getty Images)

We're looking at humanoid robots - the ones that look like us. They have arms and legs. But are they really that practical and useful ? And how might they develop in the future ? Also in this edition of Tech Life, you've heard of charging points for electric cars and bikes ? Well, next it's plug-in points for cruise ships ! We learn about Bitcoin halving. And tech is helping farmers in Ghana to grow more crops.Presenter: Zoe Kleinman Producer: Tom Quinn(Photo: An image of Atlas, the Boston Dynamics robot. Credit: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg via Getty Images, and Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images)

We dive the ocean depths to find out how you fix undersea cables that keep us online. Also this week, the documentary that's programmed to have fifty two quintillion different versions. If you're planning to watch all of them you'll possibly need a coffee, so we look at the tech behind coffee bean roasters. And how do you enrich the tech lives of lemurs and parrots ? We speak to an expert.Presenter: Chris Vallance Producer: Tom Quinn(Photo: Illustration of a submarine communications cable. Credit: Christoph Burgstedt/Getty)