Are data centres a drain? (with Prof Hannah Daly)

We’re back with another Halloween-themed episode, this time sharing stories of the tech that scares us, like the terror of going viral, the shock of Sims making WooHoo on your family computer, the horror of talking dolls, the creep of cognitive outsourcing and goosebump-inducing trypophobia.*** Good things we recommend ***>> Donate to Connie’s GCN fundraiser>> Have a go at getting the least common answers on Krillion.io and Boreen.ie >> Join us at the Who Do They Think You Are? data privacy table quiz>> Check out BetaFestival.ie for details on our upcoming live podcast*** More from us ***Kelly’s Substack: kellysrubbish.substack.com FTS blog: for-techs-sake.ghost.io FTS TikTok: fortechssakepod FTS Instagram: fortechssakepod FTS Bluesky: fortechssakepod.bsky.social FTS UpScrolled: fortechssakepod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elaine went to a week of AI summits and events and found the best conversations were happening outside of the sanitised headline event in Dublin, which felt like a day-long ad with little space given to critical thinking on the topics and issues which abound in the AI sector. She reflects on the whole experience with Kelly, marvelling at a mixed-up Irish music medley and a round stage for static speakers, among what felt like doublespeak and gaslighting. *** Good things we recommend ***>> Check out the techbro parody in Visions at the Abbey Theatre, running up to 14 November >> Have a hopeful read of Mark Little’s book, The Last Good Day on the Internet >> Consider joining the Digital and Techworker Alliance (DATA) from the Communication Workers’ Union (CWU)*** More from us ***Kelly’s Substack: kellysrubbish.substack.com FTS blog: for-techs-sake.ghost.io FTS TikTok: fortechssakepod FTS Instagram: fortechssakepod FTS Bluesky: fortechssakepod.bsky.social FTS UpScrolled: fortechssakepod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The modern-day panopticon is not a circular prison with a central guard tower, it’s a network of connected devices capturing and tracking our every waking minute and collecting copious amounts of data to share with the highest bidders – or the most fascistic authorities. In this episode, Kelly and Elaine weigh up the psychological effects of a culture where you can never dance like no one is watching. *** Good things we recommend ***>> Slow down and watch the world go by (literally) with Ambient Earth >> Read Kelly’s piece on The Journal all about this topic >> And Patrick Freyne’s article on the normalisation of location tracking among family and friends >> Listen back to our episode where we asked a search technologies expert if phones are really listening to you (even though we are not even sure any more) >> And one of our very earliest episodes, which looked at tech-facilitated abuse *** More from us ***Kelly’s Substack: kellysrubbish.substack.com FTS blog: for-techs-sake.ghost.io FTS TikTok: fortechssakepod FTS Instagram: fortechssakepod FTS Bluesky: fortechssakepod.bsky.social FTS UpScrolled: fortechssakepod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are data centres central to the Irish economy? Or is that just some inflated bluster from the government on behalf of Big Tech? A recent report from Maynooth University has debunked some of the government’s claims around the benefits we reap from being Europe’s data centre dumping ground, so we asked two of its co-authors, Patrick Bresnihan and Patrick Brodie, to talk to us about Ireland’s data centre dependency, and the motivating factors behind it.*** Good things we recommend ***>> Read the report, How We All Pay for Big Tech: The social, economic, and environmental costs costs of data centres in Ireland >> Check out the programme for Beta Festival 2026 >> Pick up a copy of the two Patricks’ book, From the Bog to the Cloud >> Check out the Workers’ AI Counter Summit in Dublin this weekend *** More from us ***Kelly’s Substack: kellysrubbish.substack.com FTS blog: for-techs-sake.ghost.io FTS TikTok: fortechssakepod FTS Instagram: fortechssakepod FTS Bluesky: fortechssakepod.bsky.social FTS UpScrolled: fortechssakepod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Kelly and Elaine are talking about the emergence of the ‘AI shelf’, where products are marketed specifically at large language models (LLMs) so that they are recommended by chatbots and even purchased by automated ‘agents’. And their question is: Can you trust automated purchase decisions in a broken content ecosystem?*** Good things we recommend ***>> Learn more about AI manipulation tactics from ‘the Sophie Morris of chatbots’, WetClaude (AKA Deana Burke), on TikTok and Instagram >> And check our her newsletter >> Celebrate ICCL’s recent win against Big Tech >> Listen back to our episodes on trend simulation and online shopping scams *** More from us ***Kelly’s Substack: kellysrubbish.substack.com FTS blog: for-techs-sake.ghost.io FTS TikTok: fortechssakepod FTS Instagram: fortechssakepod FTS Bluesky: fortechssakepod.bsky.social FTS UpScrolled: fortechssakepod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we dust off our corkboard and thread to connect the dots between problematic Silicon Valley ideologies and the doomsday AI talking points that have been gripping the world of late. Yes, this explanation of a cult-like culture that has infiltrated the highest echelons of business and government is going to sound like a conspiracy theory, but bear with us as we unpack the history of ‘superintelligence’ fantasies (and nightmares) in this bumper episode, revealing how every scary story about AI lately stems from known issues and very human failings.*** Good things we recommend ***>> Watch the Ghost in the Machine documentary >> Set up a daily games challenge with family and friends with PlayUs on Android or iOS >> Let us know what you think of the pod (and if you want an FTS PlayUs group) via [email protected] >> Better yet, rate, review and share the podcast with anyone you think might like it*** More from us ***Kelly’s Substack: kellysrubbish.substack.com FTS blog: for-techs-sake.ghost.io FTS TikTok: fortechssakepod FTS Instagram: fortechssakepod FTS Bluesky: fortechssakepod.bsky.social FTS UpScrolled: fortechssakepod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the impending release of GTA VI looming large over the video games industry, Kelly and Elaine discuss how the trend towards disc-less gaming represents a loss of consumer power and ownership for gamers. But good gaming is not out of lives just yet and an unlikely Steam-powered hero might level up and save the day.*** Good things we recommend ***>> This clip of ‘Lara Croft’ on The Late Late Toy Show  >> The Steam Machine, though Kelly’s full review will follow later  >> Seán Mongey’s people-friendly Culture Night guide  >> Becoming an Apartheid Free Zone  *** More from us ***Kelly’s Substack: kellysrubbish.substack.com  FTS blog: for-techs-sake.ghost.io  FTS TikTok: fortechssakepod  FTS Instagram: fortechssakepod  FTS Bluesky: fortechssakepod.bsky.social  FTS UpScrolled: fortechssakepod   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re back, and the kids are back in school, so we are packing your lunchbox with some food for thought on tech in schools. We’re weighing up screen-free childhoods, debunking the myth of ‘digital natives’, doling out advice on image-sharing, and considering the benefits of teaching kids piracy. (Well, it worked for us!)*** Good things we recommend ***>> Check in with your own device usage (and maybe pick up a copy of Unlocked by Pete Etchells instead of reaching for the phone) >> Watch the trailer for You Can See Everything (Nathan Fielder’s new documentary about Elizabeth Holmes) >> Take heed of Webwise’s image guidance for schools  >> Listen back to our episode with early childhood education expert Paula Walshe >> In memory of Derek Cassidy, revisit our recent subsea cables episode with researcher Jane Ruffino*** More from us ***Kelly’s Substack: kellysrubbish.substack.com FTS blog: for-techs-sake.ghost.io FTS TikTok: fortechssakepod FTS Instagram: fortechssakepod FTS Bluesky: fortechssakepod.bsky.social FTS UpScrolled: fortechssakepod  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The UK’s upcoming social media ban for under 16s has been labelled an insufficient “political band-aid” that prioritises business as usual over online safety, and creates a “false sense of safety” for parents. Kelly and Elaine discuss the reactions from researchers, child safety advocates and human rights organisations and look at how a similar ban in Australia has failed to hit the mark.*** Good things we recommend ***>> Hidden Levels, a podcast mini-series on how video games reshaped the real world (including an episode on the military) >> Kelly’s first episode of For Tech’s Sake, which was a discussion on age verification  >> Our previous episode with psychotherapist Dr Colman Noctor about parenting an online generation  >> This diva telling BBC News what she thinks of the UK social media ban  >> Sounds of Space on Bandcamp >> Pride Over the Waves: Amateur Radio Night at Tog Hackerspace  *** More from us ***Kelly’s Substack: kellysrubbish.substack.com  FTS blog: for-techs-sake.ghost.io  FTS TikTok: fortechssakepod  FTS Instagram: fortechssakepod  FTS Bluesky: fortechssakepod.bsky.social  FTS UpScrolled: fortechssakepod   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Elaine is joined by energy researcher Prof Hannah Daly to discuss the energy strain data centres represent for Ireland, the greenwashing that enables their proliferation in the face of climate concerns, and the real costs – both financially and environmentally – of unchecked growth. *** Good things we recommend ***>> Hannah’s website >> Games by Sam (especially Clues by Sam and Bee Sort)  >> Connie’s GCN marathon fundraiser  >> Dublin Inquirer Summer School  *** More from us ***Kelly’s Substack: kellysrubbish.substack.com  FTS blog: for-techs-sake.ghost.io  FTS TikTok: fortechssakepod  FTS Instagram: fortechssakepod  FTS Bluesky: fortechssakepod.bsky.social  FTS UpScrolled: fortechssakepod   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.