Welcome to the A to Z of Tech podcast series. A is for Artificial Intelligence, B is for Blockchain, C is for Cyber Security. Follow our journey through an alphabet of technology trends with PwC's technologists and special guests.
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Episode 29: Z for Gen Z (part 2)
Our second Gen Z panel discussion focuses on routes into employment in tech, gender equality in STEM subjects, and changing expectations.
In the episode Dr Claire Thorne, co-CEO of Tech She Can, and technology journalist Robert Freeman pick over these issues with Gen Z colleagues at PwC, Emma Fuentes and Salome Tirado Okeze.
Episode 28: Z for Gen Z (part 1)
07/02/23
Born into a digital, connected world, they’re the first generation not to know life before the internet. Now they’re leaving education and seeking employment.
In this episode, our host Louise Taggart is joined by members of ‘Generation Z’ from within PwC and hears what they think characterises this generation, the tech they use, and their perspectives on the world of work.
Episode 27: Y for Year in tech
13/12/22
Two of the biggest areas of development in the world of tech in 2022 were the Metaverse and AI. In our review of the year, we discuss how these technologies are transforming the Internet and how businesses are responding. We also look at the impact of changing regulation and what we can expect in the year to come.
Our host Louise Taggart is joined by PwC Responsible AI lead Maria Axente, and Alex Ruhl, Head of Metaverse Technologies, PwC UK, for the episode ‘Y for Year in tech’.
Episode 26: X for XR
02/11/22
How mixed do you like your reality? Extended reality, or XR, can involve a fully virtual experience, or perhaps an augmented one. But experts are talking more and more about mixed reality nowadays, with fascinating applications for different uses, and the pace of change is getting faster.
Our host Louise Taggart is joined by Yanna Zhu, a metaverse technology specialist here at PwC, Dr Alex Young, an NHS trauma surgeon and also the CEO and founder of the mixed reality training platform Virti, and Chris Fleischmann, founder and CEO of Arthur.
Episode 25: W for Web3
25/05/22
The next generation of the World Wide Web is upon us - promising a decentralised and democratic platform, as well as a more seamless, intelligent and personalised experience.
Our host Louise Taggart teases apart the various threads that will make up Web3, with PwC colleagues Maria Axente, Responsible AI and AI for Good Lead, and Haydn Jones, Senior Blockchain Market Specialist.
Episode 24: V for Video Games
07/03/22
In this episode, we learn about the widespread influence of video game technology. From the rise of Esports and professional gamers, to the growth of the Metaverse and the way we work, to the ‘gamification’ of User Experience to encourage different behaviours.
Our host Louise Taggart asks our guests Jeremy Dalton, PwC’s head of Metaverse Technologies, and Tanya Laird, an inductee to the Women in Games Hall of Fame, about the past, present and future of this game-changing industry.
Episode 23: U for UX
01/02/22
In this episode, we discover how a multitude of factors ranging from psychology to ethics and inclusion are taken into account when designing the User Experience for products, services and experiences. How do we make sure technology works for everyone?
Our host Louise Taggart asks if the user is always right, and gets to grips with the multidisciplinary world of UX with Roger Gagnon, PwC’s Chief Experience Officer, and Patrick Glinski, President of Normative.
Episode 22: T for Television
29/11/21
In this episode, we look at the piece of technology that dominates our living spaces, and which is the focus of huge commercial, technical and creative energy.
But what do we really even mean by the word “television” nowadays? Our host Louise Taggart finds out, in the company of Charlie Neuner, of PwC’s extended reality team, and technology journalist and lecturer Robert Freeman.
Episode 21: S for Space
21/10/21
This year has seen a surge of interest in space travel, space tourism and exploration. In this episode of the A-Z of Tech, our host Louise Taggart makes a giant leap to find out about the prospects for innovation, manufacturing and new sources of energy in space.
Our guests are Andrew Bacon, co-founder and CTO of Space Forge, and Dinesh Patel from the Space team at PwC.
Episode 20: R for Robotics
17/8/21
Hosts Shreya Gopal and Louise Taggart ask “what makes a robot a robot?” and explore the future of human and robot interaction in manufacturing and software.
Our guests are Ginny Foster, Market Development Manager at Neff Power in the US, and Liz Ajayi, PwC Consulting technical lead for intelligent automation.
Episode 19: Q for Quantum
10/6/21
In this episode of the A-Z of Tech, we explore a small world with big possibilities: quantum.
Our hosts Shreya Gopal and Louise Taggart learn about the seemingly endless possibilities of quantum computing, and the meaning of words like qubit, post-quantum cryptography and quantum supremacy.
In one of our most mind-expanding episodes, our guests are Dr Alistair Brash, from the Quantum Centre at the University of Sheffield; Sumair Zamir, from PwC’s emerging applications and technologies team, and Rebecca Lee of the PwC Cyber Security team.
Episode 18: P for Privacy
14/4/21
This episode of the A-Z of Tech is all about sharing - or not sharing. And trust. We ask, how has technology shaped our attitudes to shared information? And we get some helpful advice on what individuals and businesses can do to ensure that what should be private is kept private.
Our guests this month are John Mitchison, Director of Policy and Compliance at the Data and Marketing Association, and Fedelma Good, Director and co-leader of PwC UK's Data Protection Strategy, Law and Compliance Services practice. With our hosts Shreya and Louise they discuss how technology is changing the way individuals and businesses share and secure their data.
Episode 17: O for Open Data
17/2/21
In this episode of the A-Z of Tech, we explore the wonderful innovations and technologies that are built on an open data platform.
Our guests this month are Raspberry Pi senior developer Roger Thornton, journalist and lecturer Robert Freeman, and PwC Blockchain specialist Haydn Jones. With our hosts Shreya and Louise they discuss how open source software has encouraged a generation of young people to get hands-on with computers, the advances cryptocurrencies have made recently, and how open source intelligence can help solve and prevent crime.
Episode 16: N for Nanotechnology
16/12/20
In this episode of the A-Z of Tech, we explore the tiny world of nanotechnology and find out about desert ice, the hidden properties of sunscreen and using DNA for storing old lecture notes.
Our guests this month are Katie King, a Nanotech PhD Student at the University of Cambridge, and Tarik Moussa, from PwC’s innovation and sustainability team. With our hosts Shreya and Louise they discuss some of the extraordinary opportunities nanotech presents for science and business, particularly in the fields of medicine and sustainable technology.
Episode 15: M for Mobile
04/11/20
Nowadays, technology is with us everywhere we go. The economies of whole nations and the lives of countless individuals have been transformed by harnessing the speed and flexibility of mobile. But with the advantages of being constantly connected come the risks of overload and addiction.
In this episode, our hosts Shreya and Louise are joined by Alex Wright from PwC’s Strategy&, journalist and lecturer Robert Freeman, and Dr Chetna Kang, consultant psychiatrist at Nightingale Hospital, to look at the upsides and the downsides of mobile technology for the economy, for society, and for individuals.
Episode 14: L for Language
03/09/20
Nowadays, we’re all swimming in information, and it can be hard to make sense of it all. How do we understand and explore all the data around us? How do we help computers understand how we communicate so that they in turn can help us to connect with each other?
This episode of the A-Z of Tech is about language. Hosts Shreya and Louise are joined by Natalia Danilova, Forensic Data Discovery Specialist at PwC, and Juliet Gauthier, a Strategic Product Manager at the media services company Red Bee Media, two experts in the fascinating world of words and computing.
Episode 13: Special edition - Emerging tech trends
27/05/20
We’ve taken a break in the A to Z to reflect on some emerging tech trends during the coronavirus pandemic. In this edition, we look at how the adoption and development of some technologies has accelerated over the past few months, and what might be round the corner.
Louise and new co-host Shreya Gopal are joined by three PwC guests, Sheetal Vyas, Gabriel Currie and Penny Flint, to discuss AI, 3-D printing, the future of work, cybersecurity, and supply chains amongst other topics.
Episode 12: K for Kids
05/02/20
There’s a lot to think about when it comes to engaging children with technology. How do we teach children their digital rights and protect them from online harms whilst also ensuring they stay engaged with the online world and consider tech as a viable career option?
This month, Louise is joined by Maithreyi Rajeshkumar, head of policy and communications at child online safety charity, Childnet, and Robyn Howard, who was instrumental in the creation of the Tech She Can Charter and its Tech We Can school lesson plans. For more information on Childnet or Safer Internet Day, head to childnet.com.
Listen on: iTunes SoundCloud Acast Spotify
Episode 11: J for Jargon
07/01/20
Do you know your machine learning from your AI? Do you know what a digital twin is and how they’re used? Or what Web 3.0 means for your future internet browsing?
This month, Hugo and Louise are joined by 10 special guests who debunk and demystify the tech terminology you’re hearing every day but still not really sure what it means.
Listen on: iTunes SoundCloud Acast Spotify
Episode 10: I for Internet of Things
27/11/19
Can you hack a smart device? How are Internet of Things devices making Chinese strawberry farms more sustainable? How are traffic sensors helping South American cities predict air pollution?
For our ‘I for Internet of Things’ episode, Hugo & Louise are joined by Jo Gilbert from the GSMA and Matt Wixey from PwC’s cyber research team. In the first half of this episode, Jo sheds some light on how smart devices are used beyond household appliances. In the second half, Matt shares some insights into his research on the ‘hackability’ of devices. Finally, the team wrap up with their usual trend predictions and crystal-ball gazing.
Listen on: iTunes SoundCloud Acast Spotify
Episode 9: H for Hacking
23/10/19
Who are the hackers and can they really be reformed? Louise and Hugo investigate the world of hacking are joined the Ethan Thomas from the National Crime Agency and Stuart Criddle, PwC’s ethical hacking expert.
The podcast starts with a deep dive into how the National Crime Agency work to rehabilitate hackers operating on the wrong side of the law. The second half of the discussion centres around ethical hacking, what it is and who works in this space. The podcast concludes with an all panel discussion on the future of hacking and cyber skills.
Listen on: iTunes SoundCloud Acast Spotify
Episode 8: G for 5G
18/09/19
This month Louise and Hugo are talking all things 5G with EE’s Howard Jones and Strategy&’s Kirolous Zikry.
For the first half of the conversation, the group discuss the hype surrounding 5G, what the technology is and how it compares to analogue and everything up to 4G. In the second half of the conversation, the group talk about 5G’s potential uses and some crystal ball gazing on what comes next.
Listen on: iTunes SoundCloud Acast Spotify
Episode 7: Bonus episode - Driverless
15/08/19
In this temporary veer away from the alphabet, we sit down with Margaret Campbell, a curator at the Science Museum's latest exhibition 'Driverless: who is in control?'. Louise and Hugo chat to Margaret about her highlights from the exhibition, including the UK's first driverless car from the 1960s, the use of driverless technologies to clear Afghanistan’s land mines and how autonomous bots are monitoring the ocean’s oil spills.
Listen on: iTunes SoundCloud Acast Spotify
Episode 6: F for Fintech
10/07/19
What is fintech? Who are the challenger banks? What comes next for retail banking? Listen to the latest episode ‘F for Fintech’ as hosts Louise Taggart and Hugo Warner are joined by Starling Bank’s Head of Technology Advocacy Jason Maude and PwC’s financial services disruption lead, Arthur Hughes-Hallet.
Listen on: iTunes SoundCloud Acast Spotify
Episode 5: E for Ethics
06/06/19
In this episode, host Louise Taggart is joined by new co-host Hugo Warner. Listen in to Louise and Hugo as they tackle some of the most difficult questions regarding ethics from innovation and regulation to unconscious bias - with the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation’s Oliver Buckley and PwC UK’s AI Programme Driver, Maria Axente.
Listen on: iTunes SoundCloud Acast Spotify
Episode 4: D for Drones
07/05/19
In this episode we hear from two women working in the drones sector - Dr Pippa Malmgren, founder of H Robotics, and PwC's UK drones leader and former RAF engineer, Elaine Whyte. We discuss the potential of this emerging technology - from avoiding crocodiles to opening up new commuter routes high above the Thames!
Listen on: iTunes SoundCloud Acast Spotify
Episode 3: C for Cyber Security
25/04/19
In this episode we hear from the National Cyber Security Centre about the different types of hackers, what information they're after, and what you can do to protect yourself as a consumer. A short second interview covers CEOs as a target for cybercriminals and the risks of oversharing on social media.
Listen on: iTunes SoundCloud Acast Spotify
Episode 2: B for Blockchain
21/03/19
In episode two we take a look at demystifying blockchain with Seamus Cushley, a director in our blockchain team at PwC, and introduce some interesting use cases beyond cryptocurrency with Niall Dennehy, co-founder of blockchain for good start-up, AID:tech.
Listen on: iTunes SoundCloud Acast Spotify
Episode 1: A for Artificial Intelligence
02/02/19
We're kicking off our series with an introduction to artificial intelligence with Rob McCargow, director of AI at PwC and special guest Tabitha Goldstaub, co-founder of CognitionX and chair of the UK government's AI Council. Check out Rob's kids' Robot Rules and the MIT research study on human perspectives on machine ethics.
Listen on: iTunes SoundCloud Acast Spotify
Contact us
Louise Taggart
Cyber Threat Intelligence Senior Manager, PwC United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)7702 699119
