Crashed

Alex Hudson
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Tech News
  • Updated weekly

In the Crashed podcast, the tech podcast about everything else, hosts Alex Hudson (@alexhuds) and Chris Stokel-Walker (@stokel) delve into the complexities of technology and its implications on politics, business and wider society. It’s smart, it’s nerdy and it’s two journalists trying to make sense of a complex tech landscape in the UK. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 4 hr ago

    The week the world asked the Internet for ID

    Britain is changing prime minister again, which would be funny if the policy consequences were not so bleak. So this week on Crashed, Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker ignore the Westminster cosplay and ask the question that actually matters: what tech agenda does the next government inherit? From under-16 social media bans to VPN age-gating, facial age estimation at the border, AI regulation, digital ID, Anthropic’s incoming checks, bot paranoia and the collapsing line between public safety and private life, this is an episode about the same pattern appearing everywhere. Every new demand for safety seems to need another identity check. Every new AI panic seems to need another database. Every new political crisis seems to produce another reason why privacy has to give way. Also: hot podium guy, the King of the North, World Cup heat stress, whether blockchain can prove you are human, and the increasingly urgent question of what level of real-world harm society is prepared to tolerate to preserve a private digital life. To support, go to https://bit.ly/CrashedPodcast or search Crashed podcast Follow: Alex: www.instagram.com/alexhuds / www.tiktok.com/@alexhuds Chris: www.instagram.com/cstokelwalker / www.tiktok.com/@st0kel Spotify: https://bit.ly/CrashedSpotify Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4qkgmmV RSS: https://bit.ly/CrashedRSS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    56 min

  2. 18 Jun

    Social media ban could mean more state surveillance

    In this episode, presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker delve into the complexities of social media regulation, government policies on youth online safety, and the influence of AI at the G7 summit. They explore the implications of recent policies, the role of framing in public opinion, and the future of tech regulation. They're joined by Genevieve Broadhead, global industry lead at cloud database platform MongoDB, to discuss who owns the information architecture underneath every AI answer, retail interaction and customer decision To support, go to https://bit.ly/CrashedPodcast or search Crashed podcast Follow: Alex: www.instagram.com/alexhuds / www.tiktok.com/@alexhuds Chris: www.instagram.com/cstokelwalker / www.tiktok.com/@st0kel Spotify: https://bit.ly/CrashedSpotify Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4qkgmmV RSS: https://bit.ly/CrashedRSS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1hr 6min

  3. 11 Jun

    Royal Mail can't even deliver parcels to the Post Office

    Royal Mail can't even deliver mail to Post Offices... and there's literally no way to speak to a Parcelforce customer service operator directly, no matter how hard you try. Wasn't the delivery revolution meant to make everything better? The regulator keeps fining them for all the targets being missed. Presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker talk about expensive stamps, the demise of Post Office branches and how hard it is to deliver post to the Post Office. Maybe they could organise a p*** up in a brewery? In the episode, we also cover the "aggressive" investment in British industry and why the iPhone is being blamed for the drop in birth rate. To support, go to https://bit.ly/CrashedPodcast or search Crashed podcast Follow: Alex: www.instagram.com/alexhuds / www.tiktok.com/@alexhuds Chris: www.instagram.com/cstokelwalker / www.tiktok.com/@st0kel Spotify: https://bit.ly/CrashedSpotify Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4qkgmmV RSS: https://bit.ly/CrashedRSS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    58 min

  4. 4 Jun

    Elon Musk’s trillion-dollar gamble and the extended reality (XR) of it all

    This episode explores the recent experiences at South by Southwest (SXSW) London, the state of XR and AI markets, and the implications of upcoming IPOs in the tech industry, including the $135-a-share gamble with SpaceX that would make it the largest IPO ever and worth nearly $1.8 trillion.  Hosts Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker share insights, critiques, and future predictions about the cultural and economic impact of these technological trends. Keywords: South by Southwest London, XR, AI, IPOs, tech industry, cultural impact, market analysis, innovation, technology trends key topics South by Southwest London experienceThe state of XR and extended realityUpcoming IPOs of AI and tech giants OpenAI, Anthropic and SpaceXMarket concentration and valuation concernsCultural and societal implications of XR and AI To support, go to https://bit.ly/CrashedPodcast or search Crashed podcast Follow: Alex: www.instagram.com/alexhuds / www.tiktok.com/@alexhuds Chris: www.instagram.com/cstokelwalker / www.tiktok.com/@st0kel Spotify: https://bit.ly/CrashedSpotify Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4qkgmmV RSS: https://bit.ly/CrashedRSS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    55 min

  5. 28 May

    Shadow banning on social is real (and so is the AI Pope)

    This episode explores the complex issues of shadow banning, content moderation, and the influence of AI and religion on digital society. Featuring Dr. Carolina Are, of the LSE, presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker get deep into platform policies, free speech, and the moral implications of AI development. Oh, and what “don’t be evil” did (or didn’t mean) to Google, how North Korea might be using AI and what on earth the UK might be doing about all this.  Follow Dr. Carolina Are: https://www.instagram.com/bloggeronpole/?hl=en  Keywords: shadow banning, social media moderation, AI ethics, free speech, platform regulation, digital rights, online harms, social media censorship, AI morality, religious influence on technology key topics Shadow banning and content suppressionThe influence of AI and algorithms on societyThe role of religion and morality in AI developmentTo support, go to https://bit.ly/CrashedPodcast or search Crashed podcast Follow: Alex: www.instagram.com/alexhuds / www.tiktok.com/@alexhuds Chris: www.instagram.com/cstokelwalker / www.tiktok.com/@st0kel Spotify: https://bit.ly/CrashedSpotify Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4qkgmmV RSS: https://bit.ly/CrashedRSS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    59 min

  6. 21 May

    HS2: How difficult is it to build a £100bn railway?

    Britain’s next-generation high-speed rail network (HS2) was going to lay 530km of track, offer speeds of up to 225mph, cost around £33bn, and launch in 2026, when it was announced in 2012.  Now in 2026, it’ll cost up to £103bn, be under half the length (225km), slower, and won’t be completed until, potentially, 2043.  It’s gone laughably wrong. Even the government calls it “the world’s most expensive slow-motion car crash”.  Presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker interview transport expert Adam Tyndall about how a slow-motion car crash is possible on a railway, exactly what’s gone wrong and why a bat tunnel costs £100m (yes, it does relate to HS2). Elsewhere, how much EU can an EU EU if an EU is in the EU? Brussels is preparing the Chips Act 2.0 for a reported launch on 27 May, as part of the wider Tech Sovereignty Package. They want to double Europe’s global semiconductor market share to 20% by 2030.  Chris is heading to Europe to find out if that’s possible (though we both think we know the answer). Follow Adam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamtyndall/ To support, go to https://bit.ly/CrashedPodcast or search Crashed podcast Follow: Alex: www.instagram.com/alexhuds / www.tiktok.com/@alexhuds Chris: www.instagram.com/cstokelwalker / www.tiktok.com/@st0kel Spotify: https://bit.ly/CrashedSpotify Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4qkgmmV RSS: https://bit.ly/CrashedRSS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    50 min

  7. 14 May

    Shein takes on Temu in fast fashion showdown

    Shein, the fast-fashion brand accused by many of stealing designs and ignoring copyright, accuses fast-fashion brand Temu of stealing designs and ignoring copyright. What is going on? And what does this mean for the future of copyright law? Presenters Alex Hudson get into that, the latest developments in AI regulation, the ongoing UK and EU legislative efforts, and whether Minstrels belong in popcorn (answer: they do). Alex and Chris explore complex topics with humour and insight, making sense of a rapidly evolving landscape. keywords AI regulation, UK ICO, EU AI Act, fast fashion, copyright infringement, tech legislation, AI ethics, political predictions key topics UK ICO AI guidance and regulation gaps / EU AI Act delays and industry carve-out / Fast fashion industry and AI-driven IP theft / Political landscape and leadership uncertainties / Cultural biases in AI systems, Japan obsession To support, go to https://bit.ly/CrashedPodcast or search Crashed podcast Follow: Alex: www.instagram.com/alexhuds / www.tiktok.com/@alexhuds Chris: www.instagram.com/cstokelwalker / www.tiktok.com/@st0kel Spotify: https://bit.ly/CrashedSpotify Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4qkgmmV RSS: https://bit.ly/CrashedRSS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    55 min

  8. 7 May

    Surveillance state expands as police roll out AI facial recognition

    Presenters Alex Hudson and Chris Stokel-Walker explore the rise of surveillance technology, particularly by police, with investigative journalist Mark Wilding, of Liberty Investigates.  They also discuss digital ID systems, what self-sovereign identity would mean in practice, why nobody should say “purdah” any more, and the cultural significance of moustaches. Keywords: surveillance, digital ID, facial recognition, government policy, privacy, societal impact, technology ethics Key topics: Facial recognition and privacy concerns. Digital ID and government surveillance. To support, go to https://bit.ly/CrashedPodcast or search Crashed podcast Follow: Alex: www.instagram.com/alexhuds / www.tiktok.com/@alexhuds Chris: www.instagram.com/cstokelwalker / www.tiktok.com/@st0kel Spotify: https://bit.ly/CrashedSpotify Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4qkgmmV RSS: https://bit.ly/CrashedRSS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    59 min
See All (37)

About

In the Crashed podcast, the tech podcast about everything else, hosts Alex Hudson (@alexhuds) and Chris Stokel-Walker (@stokel) delve into the complexities of technology and its implications on politics, business and wider society. It’s smart, it’s nerdy and it’s two journalists trying to make sense of a complex tech landscape in the UK. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Alex Hudson
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    37
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Alex Hudson
  • Show Website
    Crashed

You Might Also Like