How AI Saves Lives in Ukraine & the Tech Behind Fighting Environmental Crime

This week on Somewhere on Earth: The Global Tech Podcast - we’re handing the mic to AI. For the first time ever, we’ve created a full episode using Google Notebook LM - built from some of our favourite past shows. The algorithms are choosing what to play… and even what to say. Will it work? Or will the machines miss the mark? Find out in this special AI-generated edition - dropping Tuesday, October 28th, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From major global businesses to personal accounts, cyberattacks are no longer rare - they’re a part of everyday life. On this week’s episode of Somewhere on Earth, we explore how individuals and nations are fighting back. Learn practical tips for securing your passwords, discover what “digital housekeeping” really means, and get an inside look at how Ukraine is defending itself whilst training the next generation of cybersecurity experts. Tune in for expert insights that could save you from your next online threat. The programme is presented by Ania Lichtarowicz.   More on this week's stories: Professor Oli Buckley Iryna Volnytska   Production Manager: Liz Tuohy Editor: Ania Lichtarowicz For the PodExtra version of the show please subscribe via this link: https://somewhere-on-earth-the-global-tech-podcast-the-podextra-edition.pod.fan/ Follow us on the socials: Join our Facebook group Instagram BlueSky   If you like Somewhere on Earth, please rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify   Contact us by email: [email protected]  Send us a voice note: via WhatsApp: +44 7486 329 484   Find a Story + Make it News = Change the World Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From high-profile cyberattacks on UK businesses to how you can protect yourself online — this week, Somewhere on Earth takes a closer look at cybersecurity. 🎙️ Host Ania Lichtarowicz talks to: Packed with practical advice and real-world insight - essential listening for anyone living life online. 🎧 Available Tuesday on all major podcast platforms and via the Evergreen Podcast Network. #CyberSecurity #Podcast #SomewhereOnEarth #DigitalSafety #EvergreenPodcasts #Tech #Ukraine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special edition of Somewhere on Earth, host Gareth Mitchell teams up with Andrew Grill, the “Actionable Futurist” behind the Digitally Curious podcast, for a thought-provoking deep dive into how artificial intelligence is reshaping our lives, work, and creativity. Joined by digital culture pioneer and SOEP Studio Expert Ghislaine Boddington, the trio explore what it really means to live — and stay human — in an AI-driven world. From the boardroom to the everyday, they unpack the shift from AI hype to real-world application, the rise of digital empathy, and how curiosity remains our greatest tool for navigating the future. Tune in for sharp insights, global perspectives, and authentic conversation — because being digitally curious has never mattered more.   The programme is presented by Gareth Mitchell and the studio expert is Ghislaine Boddington.   More on this week's stories: Digitally Curious Production Manager: Liz Tuohy Editor: Ania Lichtarowicz For the PodExtra version of the show please subscribe via this link: https://somewhere-on-earth-the-global-tech-podcast-the-podextra-edition.pod.fan/ Follow us on the socials: Join our Facebook group Instagram BlueSky   If you like Somewhere on Earth, please rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify   Contact us by email: [email protected]   Send us a voice note: via WhatsApp: +44 7486 329 484   Find a Story + Make it News = Change the World Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Exciting news from Somewhere on Earth and Digitally Curious! We’re teaming up with Andrew Grill, the Actionable Futurist behind the Digitally Curious podcast, for a special edition all about AI, society, and the real-world impact of digital change. Andrew brings practical, no-nonsense insight into how to use the future — not just imagine it. Plus, Ghislaine Boddington joins us to share her unique take from the cutting edge. 🎧 Somewhere on Earth x Digitally Curious — coming Tuesday, 14th October. 👉 Subscribe now so you don’t miss this fascinating collaboration! https://open.spotify.com/show/65YZwVfA03MSdZ3198yLdb #AI #DigitalTransformation #FutureOfWork #Podcast #Futurebusiness #SomewhereOnEarth #DigitallyCurious Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Artificial intelligence isn’t just coding our future - it’s saving lives right now on Ukraine’s frontlines. New research that’s being presented at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2025 in 2025 shows how AI-driven evacuation systems, real-time medical data streaming, and autonomous rescue vehicles are reshaping combat medicine amid more than 390,000 reported injuries since Russia’s invasion began. From triage algorithms that choose who gets evacuated first, to AI-designed prosthetics built for precision and recovery, this is tech meeting humanity in the most urgent way possible. Dr. Evgeni Kolesnikov’s research shows how AI is redefining what’s possible when machine learning meets medicine. 🌍💻 Nowhere to Hide: Dr. Julia Shaw on the Rise of ‘Green Crime’ and the Tech Tracking the Planet’s Worst Offenders Criminal psychologist Dr. Julia Shaw is on the show to talk about the tech behind her new book “Green Crime: Inside the Minds of the People Destroying the Planet - and How to Stop Them”. She explains how AI, satellite surveillance, and forensic finance are tracing the data signatures of environmental offenders who thought they could hide. The programme is presented by Gareth Mitchell and the studio expert is Ania Lichtarowicz. More on this week's stories: AI optimizes evacuation, diagnosis and treatment of wounded soldiers in Ukraine “Green Crime” by Dr. Julia Shaw Production Manager: Liz Tuohy Producer: Liz Tuohy Editor: Ania Lichtarowicz For the PodExtra version of the show please subscribe via this link: https://somewhere-on-earth-the-global-tech-podcast-the-podextra-edition.pod.fan/ Follow us on the socials: Join our Facebook group Instagram BlueSky If you like Somewhere on Earth, please rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Contact us by email: [email protected] Send us a voice note: via WhatsApp: +44 7486 329 484 Find a Story + Make it News = Change the World Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Somewhere on Earth: The Global Tech Podcast explores how innovation shapes real lives worldwide. In this episode, we uncover how AI is helping Ukrainian medics evacuate and treat wounded soldiers from the frontline - technology in action where every second matters. Plus, Dr. Julia Shaw joins us to discuss her new book Green Crime, and how tech is being used to expose crimes against our planet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

🌐 Crisis of Social Media Moderation - 16m in EU without checks online 14% of EU based X users have no human content moderators in their languages, according to new research from the Oxford Internet Institute. 16 million EU-based users of X don’t have moderators for their national language.  Hate speech in English is often flagged and removed quickly. But in many other languages - including Italian, Portuguese, Arabic and Spanish - especially on smaller platforms, dangerous content stays online unchecked. This moderation gap leaves entire communities exposed to harassment and disinformation.  The study also found gaps on LinkedIn. The lead author of the study, Manuel Tonneau speaks to Gareth.   📵 Sudan’s WhatsApp Ban: A Lifeline Cut Off Sudan has blocked WhatsApp voice and video calls, citing vague security concerns. For families separated by war, aid workers, and journalists, this was a vital lifeline. The Keep It On coalition say the ban is less about safety and more about control, worsening isolation and disrupting humanitarian relief. In conflict zones, connectivity isn’t optional - it’s survival.  They are calling for the ban to be lifted immediately. The programme is presented by Gareth Mitchell and the studio expert is Ania Lichtarowicz.   More on this week's stories: Language Disparities in Moderation Workforce Allocation by Social Media Platform #KeepItOn: Time to end Sudan’s isolation; lift the WhatsApp block now   Production Manager: Liz Tuohy Editor: Ania Lichtarowicz For the PodExtra version of the show please subscribe via this link: https://somewhere-on-earth-the-global-tech-podcast-the-podextra-edition.pod.fan/ Follow us on all the socials: Join our Facebook group Instagram BlueSky   If you like Somewhere on Earth, please rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify   Contact us by email: [email protected] Send us a voice note: via WhatsApp: +44 7486 329 484   Find a Story + Make it News = Change the World Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

🌍The Crisis of Social Media Moderation Moderation isn’t equal. New research shows social media platforms fail non-English speakers — with dangerous consequences.” 📵 Sudan’s WhatsApp Ban Sudan has blocked WhatsApp calls. For families in war, aid workers, and journalists, that’s more than inconvenient — it’s survival cut off. All this and more on Somewhere on Earth: The Global Tech Podcast - out every Tuesday at 2100BST. The podcast connecting global stories of technology, society, and the people living through them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Ceasefire for the Digital Age When war moves online, civilians and critical infrastructure become targets in new ways. In this episode, we unpack Access Now’s call for a digital ceasefire — a bold demand to protect human rights in cyberspace. What would it mean to declare peace in networks, servers, and code? And how do we hold governments and companies accountable in this invisible but devastating battlefield? Giulio Coppi, senior humanitarian officer author at Access Now and Marwa Fatafta, co-author of the recent report, Digital Ceasefire: The Path to Peace Goes Online are on the show. The Science Behind DeepSeek’s Success China’s DeepSeek R1 AI model has stunned the tech world — not just for its performance, but for how it was built. With no billion-dollar budgets and no shortcuts, the team leaned on efficiency and innovative training methods that are rewriting the rules of AI research. In this episode, we explore the science behind their success and what it reveals about the future of innovation and global competition in AI. The programme is presented by Gareth Mitchell and the studio expert is Ania Lichtarowicz. More on this week's stories: Digital Ceasefire: The path to peace goes online The secrets of DeepSeek AI model revealed in landmark paper   Production Manager: Liz Tuohy Editor: Ania Lichtarowicz For the PodExtra version of the show please subscribe via this link: https://somewhere-on-earth-the-global-tech-podcast-the-podextra-edition.pod.fan/ Follow us on the socials: Join our Facebook group Instagram BlueSky   If you like Somewhere on Earth, please rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify   Contact us by email: [email protected]   Send us a voice note: via WhatsApp: +44 7486 329 484   Find a Story + Make it News = Change the World Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices