The ITPro Podcast
The ITPro Podcast is a weekly show for technology professionals and business leaders. Each week hosts Rory Bathgate (@rorybathgate) and Jane McCallion (@JaneMcCallion) are joined by an expert guest to take a deep dive into the most important issues for the IT community. New episodes premiere every Friday. Visit itpro.com/uk/the-it-pro-podcast for more information, or follow ITPro on LinkedIn for regular updates.
Episodes
April 19, 2024 • 32 mins
The EU’s AI Act has been approved, bringing in sweeping requirements, controls, and regulations for the development and use of AI tools throughout the region.
But what are the precise measures it brings in, how can businesses prepare for the new rules, and what are the penalties for non-compliance?
In this episode, Rory speaks to Nader Henein, VP Analyst at Garner, to explore the implications of the EU AI Act, how companies can prepa...
But what are the precise measures it brings in, how can businesses prepare for the new rules, and what are the penalties for non-compliance?
In this episode, Rory speaks to Nader Henein, VP Analyst at Garner, to explore the implications of the EU AI Act, how companies can prepa...
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April 12, 2024 • 10 mins
This week has seen Google Cloud’s annual Next conference in full swing, with the hyperscaler having made major announcements on generative AI and the infrastructure necessary to support it.
Having spent the past year playing catch-up with Microsoft and OpenAI, Google Cloud is now in a place where it’s ready to press its advantage in AI, years after the company first declared itself “AI first”. But has it succeeded in this mission, a...
Having spent the past year playing catch-up with Microsoft and OpenAI, Google Cloud is now in a place where it’s ready to press its advantage in AI, years after the company first declared itself “AI first”. But has it succeeded in this mission, a...
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April 5, 2024 • 21 mins
March has been a month of concern for those in the cyber security community following revelations of extensive hacking campaigns carried out by state-backed groups.
In the latter part of the month, it was reported that APT 31, a Chinese state-backed threat group, had accessed information on tens of millions of UK voters in a breach of the Electoral Commission. Threat actors had also targeted US politicians and businesses.
What can w...
In the latter part of the month, it was reported that APT 31, a Chinese state-backed threat group, had accessed information on tens of millions of UK voters in a breach of the Electoral Commission. Threat actors had also targeted US politicians and businesses.
What can w...
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March 29, 2024 • 33 mins
Is your firm missing out on AI? It’s a question that has weighed heavy on the minds of tech leaders for the past 18 months and as new developments are announced leaders are presented with an ever-increasing buffet of AI products.
While the pressure to commit to AI adoption can be intense, it’s essential that leaders integrate AI in a strategic fashion. But what does this mean in a practical sense and how can leaders match this need ...
While the pressure to commit to AI adoption can be intense, it’s essential that leaders integrate AI in a strategic fashion. But what does this mean in a practical sense and how can leaders match this need ...
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March 22, 2024 • 38 mins
This classic episode of the ITPro Podcast was first published on 9 June 2023.
Quantum computing is an inevitable technology, with the private sector and nation-states racing to be the first to unlock its potential. While it can be used for all kinds of good, quantum computing could also be used to unravel critical systems.
The UK is one of several nations investing in quantum computing, with its government having announced £900 milli...
Quantum computing is an inevitable technology, with the private sector and nation-states racing to be the first to unlock its potential. While it can be used for all kinds of good, quantum computing could also be used to unravel critical systems.
The UK is one of several nations investing in quantum computing, with its government having announced £900 milli...
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March 15, 2024 • 33 mins
As technological innovations happen, it can be easy to forget that even the most complex systems rely on large networks of basic infrastructure to operate. At the most fundamental level, all tech products rely on effective data storage
But this is easier said than done. Each byte of data has to be stored somewhere, on a rack, disk, tape, or flash device. As the world embraces hardware and software that creates data at an even faste...
But this is easier said than done. Each byte of data has to be stored somewhere, on a rack, disk, tape, or flash device. As the world embraces hardware and software that creates data at an even faste...
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March 8, 2024 • 30 mins
The tech sector still has a long way to go when it comes to gender equality. While progress has been made over the years, women in tech face hurdles such as discrimination and outdated hiring processes. All of this works to drive women out of tech and uphold ingrained, sectoral biases.
Female founders come up against these same challenges time and time again, which robs the industry of innovative firms and stems the flow of progress...
Female founders come up against these same challenges time and time again, which robs the industry of innovative firms and stems the flow of progress...
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March 1, 2024 • 22 mins
February has been an eventful month in the tech sector as ransomware operator LockBit, which has accrued billions of dollars in ill-gotten gains in its approximately four-year history, was taken down by an international task force spearheaded by the UK’s National Crime Agency.
Elsewhere, ChatGPT suffered a major setback as users noticed the industry-leading chatbot had taken to answering prompts with complete gibberish. Though the i...
Elsewhere, ChatGPT suffered a major setback as users noticed the industry-leading chatbot had taken to answering prompts with complete gibberish. Though the i...
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February 23, 2024 • 24 mins
STEM careers are often touted as those with the best prospects, but when it comes to job satisfaction things may not be quite so rosy. A stark number of workers in the tech industry are currently looking to move jobs – either into a different tech role or into another field entirely.
Many more are facing the looming prospect of job cuts, while an increasing number are reporting poor working conditions. All this adds up to a disaffe...
Many more are facing the looming prospect of job cuts, while an increasing number are reporting poor working conditions. All this adds up to a disaffe...
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February 16, 2024 • 30 mins
As organizations look to integrate AI tools into their business models, key questions will have to be answered around how this fits in with their wider strategy. This doesn’t just mean data analysis or adoption of generative AI tools, but less directly connected initiatives such as sustainability goals.
The adoption of AI is also running up against concerns around skills. Many organizations, if not most, are yet to truly determine w...
The adoption of AI is also running up against concerns around skills. Many organizations, if not most, are yet to truly determine w...
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February 9, 2024 • 26 mins
It’s becoming something of a tradition for companies to ring in the new year with a wave of layoffs. In 2024, as in 2023, workforce reduction has been a major theme in the tech sector and beyond for January.
As technologies such as AI take root, the nature and pace of layoffs is likely to change in the near future. Competing pressures of economic downturns and productivity shortfalls could change the tech workforce dramatically.
In t...
As technologies such as AI take root, the nature and pace of layoffs is likely to change in the near future. Competing pressures of economic downturns and productivity shortfalls could change the tech workforce dramatically.
In t...
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February 2, 2024 • 41 mins
If you’ve seen Oppenheimer, Dune, or Blade Runner 2049, then you’ve seen the work of DNEG. The British visual effects firm, formerly known as Double Negative, has had to contend with growing compute and data demands in its 26 year history, with thousands of hours of rendering required to bring the latest visuals from servers to the cinema screen.
In recent years, DNEG’s legacy infrastructure began to feel the strain of this task, l...
In recent years, DNEG’s legacy infrastructure began to feel the strain of this task, l...
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January 26, 2024 • 33 mins
Computers and technology have well and truly permeated our professional and private lives. While this has led to great strides in efficiency, opened up new opportunities for businesses and individuals, and helped us become more connected than ever before, there are also downsides.
As the world becomes more digital and even menial tasks are increasingly outsourced to computer systems, a simultaneous shift in accountability and oversi...
As the world becomes more digital and even menial tasks are increasingly outsourced to computer systems, a simultaneous shift in accountability and oversi...
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January 19, 2024 • 34 mins
Business intelligence tools already help leaders learn more about the data that drives their business and make more informed decisions. BI dashboards, in particular, help business leaders quantify their successes and identify areas for improvement from one central point of access.
When it comes to adopting AI effectively, proper oversight and understanding of your data can be of the utmost importance. On paper, there could be a stro...
When it comes to adopting AI effectively, proper oversight and understanding of your data can be of the utmost importance. On paper, there could be a stro...
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January 12, 2024 • 30 mins
This classic episode of the ITPro Podcast was first published on 6 January 2023.
Passwords can be tricky at the best of times. Proper password hygiene is one of the most important factors in endpoint security, as it keeps sensitive data secure and prevents threat actors from getting into important systems.
Despite the risks, the use of weak or recycled passwords continues to be a problem even amongst IT professionals and remembering...
Passwords can be tricky at the best of times. Proper password hygiene is one of the most important factors in endpoint security, as it keeps sensitive data secure and prevents threat actors from getting into important systems.
Despite the risks, the use of weak or recycled passwords continues to be a problem even amongst IT professionals and remembering...
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January 5, 2024 • 29 mins
The UK’s data privacy landscape has long come with strict responsibilities for businesses, requiring detailed justifications for all customer data stored and processed. After the UK formally exited the European Union in 2020, the UK retained regulations for controllers and processors via the UK GDPR which sits alongside the Data Protection Act 2018.
Businesses have often criticized the red tape present within GDPR, arguing that it h...
Businesses have often criticized the red tape present within GDPR, arguing that it h...
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December 29, 2023 • 37 mins
As business leaders reflect on the past 12 months and look forward to what the next might hold, a number of trends and technologies stand out.
While AI is dead set to continue its large role in 2024, the impact of high-performance computing (HPC), the spread of new 5G technologies, and the pernicious role that increasingly sophisticated fraud tech will play is also worth exploring.
For this new year’s edition of the podcast, Jane an...
While AI is dead set to continue its large role in 2024, the impact of high-performance computing (HPC), the spread of new 5G technologies, and the pernicious role that increasingly sophisticated fraud tech will play is also worth exploring.
For this new year’s edition of the podcast, Jane an...
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December 22, 2023 • 37 mins
So much has happened this year, not least in the areas of AI and social media, but at the same time some events have been some notable omissions. While generative AI has taken the world by storm, there is still much to prove about its business use cases and how it should be regulated.
Security and hardware are also in a similar place to previous years, with the same threats and designs coming to the surface in 2023 in place of any ...
Security and hardware are also in a similar place to previous years, with the same threats and designs coming to the surface in 2023 in place of any ...
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December 15, 2023 • 25 mins
Machine learning (ML) has been a field of research for more than 50 years, and as a subset of artificial intelligence has also been the focus of great innovation in that time.
Many businesses use machine learning throughout their stack and some will have relied upon ML frameworks without realizing it. With the rise in popularity of newer forms of AI developments such as generative AI, however, some have questioned the extent to whi...
Many businesses use machine learning throughout their stack and some will have relied upon ML frameworks without realizing it. With the rise in popularity of newer forms of AI developments such as generative AI, however, some have questioned the extent to whi...
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December 8, 2023 • 21 mins
The promise of algorithms and AI has always been simple at its core. Workers can automate manual and laborious tasks, to free up their time for more complex or meaningful activities.
This comes under scrutiny in some fields more than others. For example, the use of algorithmic processing in HR and hiring has had some very public horror stories in the past few years.
While one could theoretically use the perfect algorithm to quickly ...
This comes under scrutiny in some fields more than others. For example, the use of algorithmic processing in HR and hiring has had some very public horror stories in the past few years.
While one could theoretically use the perfect algorithm to quickly ...
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