The UK is "walking down a path towards a surveillance state", a technology expert warns in the latest episode of The Data Capital podcast. Stephanie Hare voices her concerns about the different ways that technology and data are affecting our lives in a wide-ranging interview in We Begin As Data.Hare, keynote speaker at The Scotsman's annual data conference on September 27th, also warns of the addictive power of tech platforms like TikTok and their potentially damaging long-term effect on...

Two female data entrepreneurs describe how personal experiences - giving a cancer diagnosis to a child and watching older relatives lose their independence - motivated them to start their own businesses in the latest episode of the Data Capital podcast.Ishani Malholtra, who founded Carcinotech, and Alex Reissig, co-founder of Smplicare, also talk about how vital data is to their business - and the continuing challenges faced by technology businesses founded by women.They praise the support...

In the latest episode of The Scotsman’s Data Capital podcast series we speak with Professor Thusha Rajendran (Heriot-Watt University) about the potential for robots to change Scotland.

Businesses who are able to attract the brightest and best technology talent will be those who understand the complex and ever-changing relationship between humans and computers. This includes an ability to use artificial intelligence smartly to "automate the misery and retain the joy" in people's jobs, the latest podcast in The Scotsman's Data Capital series heard. Experts from Accenture Applied Intelligence said the market for those working in data and artificial intelligence was...

Health data has been the foundation for decision-making during the Covid-19 pandemic - but there is room for improvement on how that data is combined and used in future, according to Scotland's National Clinical Director, Professor Jason Leitch. In The Scotsman's latest Data Capital podcast, A Healthy Relationship with Data?, Prof Leitch discusses public attitudes to using their personal health data for the wider good. He says: "I think that if you stop 100 people in the street and tell...

Looking at human and animal health in a joined-up way is vital to help predict, and address, future outbreaks of Coronavirus and flu, an expert believes. Professor Bruce Whitelaw says OneHealth - studying human health, animal health and our environment in a coordinated way - had huge potential. Prof Whitelaw, a geneticist and senior academic at the University of Edinburgh, discusses OneHealth in detail in the latest Data Capital podcast by The Scotsman and the Data Driven Innovation...

Older people are being helped to stay in their homes for longer by robotic technology which can perform simple tasks and identify changing patterns in behaviour that signal a decline in physical or mental health. Experts at Heriot-Watt University say the 'Living Lab' approach - which replicates real-life homes - has huge potential to support older people to 'age in place'. The research will take on a higher profile when The National Robotarium opens on the Heriot-Watt campus in Edinburgh in...

Edinburgh is one of the most advanced supercomputing centres in the world - and is harnessing that expertise to support its efforts to become the data capital of Europe. The supercomputers housed at Bush, in Midlothian, can do an unbelievable 25 million billion calculations every second. And Professor Mark Parsons, Executive Director at EPCC (previously Edinburgh Parallel Computing Centre) says the supercomputers being used now are 25 million times faster than those when he came to...

In the sixth and final episode of The Scotsman's Data Capital series, we discuss why data is only as important as the people behind it. During the series, we have talked about how data - and artificial intelligence - is being used to help shape the future of tourism, to transform the oil and gas industry, to train robots to help humans with challenging tasks in difficult environments, and much more. Now we're examining why none of this is possible without human beings to make sense of that...

In the fifth episode of The Scotsman's Data Capital series, we discuss how data and artificial intelligence are powering a new generation of robots - which could revolutionise many aspects of our modern lives. We hear from Professors Helen Hastie and Yvan Petillot, who are leading the project to create a National Robotarium at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh in early 2022. They talk about recreating real situations in 'living labs' at the Robotarium, to build on existing work on how...

In the fourth episode of The Scotsman's Data Capital series, we discuss how data and artificial intelligence can re-shape traditional energy businesses for the future - at a time when they are under intense pressure. Drilling down into the detail are Barry Walker and Sam Netherwood of Accenture Applied Intelligence, who examine how data and AI are helping oil and gas companies make much smarter decisions about their businesses. Barry Walker sets the scene by highlighting fundamental changes...

In the third episode of Data Capital, we examine the thorny issue of how to ensure we use data and artificial intelligence effectively - but do not abuse them. Professor Shannon Vallor, an expert in the challenging relationship between ethics and technology, reminds us that artificial intelligence is "human all the way down" - and insists self-aware machines are NOT about to take over the world. She says: “There is nothing mysterious or magical about AI - it’s something that is transforming...

In the second episode of the series, we examine how data can support families in the Edinburgh city region suffering from poverty and social isolation. A new project, the Intensive Family Support Service, is harnessing data to ensure the benefits of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal - especially new job opportunities  - are fairly spread throughout society. Sarah Galey-Horn of the University of Edinburgh discusses how the new project is seeking to find great examples of...

In the first episode, we explore how data is invaluable to the tourism industry. In 2020,  Edinburgh’s world renowned Fringe festival was cancelled, leaving the city eerily quiet in what normally is a peak time for tourism. Josh Ryan-Saha, an expert in data and tourism with the Data Driven Innovation programme talks about the catastrophic drop in visitors to Edinburgh caused by the pandemic - and how data might help bring the tourists back and help the city’s hospitality businesses recover....

This is what you can expect from Data Capital, a new podcast from The Scotsman, hosted by writer and event host David Lee.