DW's Techtopia (2022) is a five-episode documentary series that explores today's most important technological developments and how they will change our society in the coming decades. It was released simultaneously in English, Spanish and Hindi.
I reported, produced, and directed the series and hosted the English version.
Episode 1: Predictive Policing (from the Netherlands)
Police around the world use software to predict crimes and who will commit them. But critics warn that the programs are ineffective and often discriminate against minorities.
We investigate the rise of the technology, revealing how the life of one Amsterdam family was turned upside down after their teenage son was flagged as a future offender.
Episode 2: Big Data Governance (from India)
Day in and day out, we create masses of data. Analyzing those data footrprints can help governments make our lives safer and greener. But it can also give rise to surveillance on an unprecedented scale, as the story of S.Q. Masood from Hyderabad in India illustrates.
We investigate how governments can use big data for good — and at what point data-based governance becomes intrusive and needs to be stopped.
Episode 3: Critical Digital Infrastructure (from Germany)
For weeks, a cyberattack paralyzed a rural German district in the summer of 2021. It was a case in point for how hackers can knock out entire communities in milliseconds — and how digital technology has become vital for running our societies, making them ever more vulnerable to hacking.
We explore how a criminal industry makes billions by taking computers hostage, and how governments can use similar methods as a political weapon.
Episode 4: Superintelligence (from Iceland)
It is considered the Holy Grail of artificial intelligence research: Building a computer as smart as we are. Some say such a system could help create a more equal society – while others warn that it could become a threat to our very existence.
How far are we from reaching “artificial general intelligence”? And what happens if machines outsmart us? We take a deep dive into the world of AI, meeting a scientist on the quest for human-level intelligence and digging into the questions awaiting us as humanity inches closer to AGI.
Episode 5: The Future of the Internet (from the UK)
The era of a new internet is dawning. The “metaverse,” as many call it, could revolutionize how we work, learn and communicate. But it could also give rise to unprecedented online harassment and abuse — something London-based researcher Nina Jane Patel experienced firsthand.
In the final episode of DW’s Techtopia, we take a deep dive into the world of immersive technologies. We have insights into how the internet of the future will look like. And we discuss how to make the “metaverse” a safe space. (The episode describes instances of sexual violence.)