Spark

The technologies we use have long changed how we communicate. But on today's social media platforms, where content moderation is automated, people have taken to speaking in code to elude algorithmic censors. And it's changing the way we speak.

We've long talked about the data-driven turn in AI and how a Deep Learning approach has given us everything from image recognition, to ChatGPT. But what about the ongoing ethical questions about the kinds of data machines are learning on? And beyond that, what if we're starting to…run out of data?

The climate is changing. So are we. On What On Earth, you’ll explore a world of solutions with host Laura Lynch and our team of journalists. In 1970, 20 million people showed up to fight for the environment on the first Earth Day. More than five decades later, is it time for this much tamer global event to return to its radical roots? OG organizer Denis Hayes recounts how – amidst other counterculture movements at the time – his team persuaded roughly one in ten Americans to take to the streets. As he approaches 80, Denis offers his singular piece of advice to the next generation of climate leaders. Then, environmental warriors Maria Blancas and Axcelle Campana share ideas on what a reinspired Earth Day could look like – including making it a public holiday. More episodes of What On Earth are available at: https://link.chtbl.com/fHfXfjAJ We love to hear from our listeners and regularly feature them on the show. Have a question or idea? Email Earth@cbc.ca

From the earliest musical instruments to the metronome, to vocoders, auto-tune and beyond, music creation has always been a collaboration between humans and machines. But now that generative AI is shaking up songwriting, have we crossed a new threshold where the distinctively human talent for music is no longer ours alone?

Strides in AI software are finding their way into physical robots. It's promising a new era of human-robot interaction, where robots can assist us, respond to our needs and to cues in the environment. Question is: are we ready for robots among us?

Like most of us, you probably only think about infrastructure when it doesn't work: the power goes off, the roads flood. But in the face of climate change and the increasing energy demands of our digital tech, how can we rethink what infrastructure looks like to meet our future needs?

One of civilization's oldest technologies, textiles have long been linked to money, power, and politics. Now, researchers are looking to produce novel, more sustainable textiles using organisms like yeast, fungus, and bacteria.

What does play mean in a digital age, when so much happens on our all-consuming phones, and tech erases the boundaries between work and play?

In an age of misinformation and generative AI, how do we know if anything we read or hear is even real anymore? From the latest trends in internet search to watermarking images to (re)establishing trust in journalism, we examine the role of proof in a post-truth world.

Digital twin technology is growing rapidly across multiple industries. From race cars to the human heart to the entire country of Canada, a look at how these virtual replicas use real-time data to model and predict the future.

We keep hearing that AI is going to revolutionize jobs. But what if the language of inevitable automation hides the ongoing need for distinctly human skills?

Along with huge advances in data-driven technologies like machine learning and digital health, there are troubling concerns about our data privacy in healthcare, and persistent problems with bias in artificial intelligence. So how do we get the tools we want with the ethics we need?

By some measures, nearly 90% of Canadians 65 and older use the internet every day. And yet, the design of new technologies and platforms often leaves out the needs, desires and interests of seniors. But if older people are using technology, why aren't they factored into its design?

In honour of World Radio Day, we explore the magic behind one of the most important technological creations in history, the innovations it inspired and its enduring power in an increasingly digitized world.

Imagination is often dismissed as childish, or a frill. But it also lets us picture alternative futures, and technologies that haven't been invented yet. So how do we harness our imagination? And in an age where Big Tech promises to solve our problems for us, how do we use our imaginations to build the futures we want?

In a world where our digital tools keep an accurate record of handy facts and events, what is our fragile, fallible human memory good for?

The competition in sports equipment is heating up — with everything from high-tech "super shoes" for marathoners to "smart blades" for ice skating. Beyond the hype, how much difference can these innovations make to you and me?

Sure, the tech we use every day is littered with disinformation, bad behaviour and privacy violations…but it's not all bad news! To mark the 600th episode of Spark, we look at the surprising reasons to be optimistic in 2024 — from quantum computing to learning from video games.

How sci-fi can help us harness the power of imagination and visionary storytelling to inspire real-world innovation and frame our collective visions of the future. An updated episode from June 2023.

Is it possible to control our compulsive—and reflexive—use of our digital tech so we can savour the space for rest, relaxation and restoration? We offer a start of the year check up, exploring tech overuse and how to restore some balance to our busy, digital lives.