Chris Stokel-Walker
@stokel.bsky.social
Tech journalist and author, who increasingly also talks on TV and radio. Interested in the sparks that happen when the online and offline worlds collide
@stokel on the other place. Buy my book: How AI Ate the World!
@stokel on the other place. Buy my book: How AI Ate the World!
We weren't promised jetpacks in 2026, but we were promised a lot of other things. For Professional Engineering, I asked the experts why we aren't on Mars, don't have self-driving cars across cities, or personal flights www.imeche.org/news/news-ar...
3 engineering breakthroughs we were promised for 2026 – and the likely reality
www.imeche.org
January 7, 2026 at 6:54 PM
We weren't promised jetpacks in 2026, but we were promised a lot of other things. For Professional Engineering, I asked the experts why we aren't on Mars, don't have self-driving cars across cities, or personal flights www.imeche.org/news/news-ar...
Historically medicine has overlooked women's health problems. AI chatbots are trained on historical documentation. You can imagine what happens next - but read my latest for @newscientist.com to see the chaos www.newscientist.com/article/2510...
AI chatbots miss urgent issues in queries about women's health
AI models such as ChatGPT and Gemini fail to give adequate advice for 60 per cent of queries relating to women’s health in a test created by medical professionals
www.newscientist.com
January 7, 2026 at 10:16 AM
Historically medicine has overlooked women's health problems. AI chatbots are trained on historical documentation. You can imagine what happens next - but read my latest for @newscientist.com to see the chaos www.newscientist.com/article/2510...
Missed sharing this one earlier in the year but for @leaddev.com I looked at some of the uncomfortable predictions software engineering leaders have to face in 2026 leaddev.com/leadership/5...
5 uncomfortable predictions for engineering leaders in 2026
The holiday season is an apt time to take stock and consider what worked and what didn’t in the previous 12 months.
leaddev.com
January 7, 2026 at 10:15 AM
Missed sharing this one earlier in the year but for @leaddev.com I looked at some of the uncomfortable predictions software engineering leaders have to face in 2026 leaddev.com/leadership/5...
Reposted by Chris Stokel-Walker
Grok's guardrails are off, and 51% of the population is at risk. I wrote about xAI's turn towards the perverse - and the legality of threatened interventions - for @fastcompany.com www.fastcompany.com/91470022/gro...
People are using Grok to create lewd images of women and young girls
The mere ability to create such images suggests just how harmful it is to remove guardrails on generative AI.
www.fastcompany.com
January 6, 2026 at 8:25 PM
Grok's guardrails are off, and 51% of the population is at risk. I wrote about xAI's turn towards the perverse - and the legality of threatened interventions - for @fastcompany.com www.fastcompany.com/91470022/gro...
Our cars are becoming ever more complicated and chock-full of computers - which is having an impact on the computer chip industry. My latest for @tomshardware.com on what that means on the forecourt www.tomshardware.com/tech-industr...
Chip scarcity assaults auto industry amid the worsening Nexperia and DRAM crisis — fragile sector rocked by undersupply, which may end worse than the 2021 shortage
Automakers let their safety stocks dwindle just as chipmakers shifted focus to AI.
www.tomshardware.com
January 7, 2026 at 9:57 AM
Our cars are becoming ever more complicated and chock-full of computers - which is having an impact on the computer chip industry. My latest for @tomshardware.com on what that means on the forecourt www.tomshardware.com/tech-industr...
Donald Trump's disrupting regulatory norms, and has his eyes set on the EU's attempts to rein in US big tech. My latest for @nikkei.com Digital Governance tries to look ahead to what's coming in the next 12 months www.nikkei.com/prime/digita...
「イデオロギー上の敵」 トランプ氏がかき乱す欧州規制 - 日経デジタルガバナンス
厳格ルール路線の揺り戻しも伝えられる欧州。2026年のデジタル規制はどんな姿を描くのか。ブリュッセルと英国を拠点とする2人のジャーナリストが占います。欧州連合（EU）にとって26年はデジタル政策を「立法」から「執行」に移す年だといえる。同時に、規制を巡る米国との間の緊張も高まっている。（デイブ・キーティング）ルールは執行フェーズに26年までに、EUの主要なデジタル法はもはや机上の空論ではなく
www.nikkei.com
January 7, 2026 at 9:54 AM
Donald Trump's disrupting regulatory norms, and has his eyes set on the EU's attempts to rein in US big tech. My latest for @nikkei.com Digital Governance tries to look ahead to what's coming in the next 12 months www.nikkei.com/prime/digita...
Grok's guardrails are off, and 51% of the population is at risk. I wrote about xAI's turn towards the perverse - and the legality of threatened interventions - for @fastcompany.com www.fastcompany.com/91470022/gro...
People are using Grok to create lewd images of women and young girls
The mere ability to create such images suggests just how harmful it is to remove guardrails on generative AI.
www.fastcompany.com
January 6, 2026 at 8:25 PM
Grok's guardrails are off, and 51% of the population is at risk. I wrote about xAI's turn towards the perverse - and the legality of threatened interventions - for @fastcompany.com www.fastcompany.com/91470022/gro...
My latest for @newscientist.com forecasts how passkeys will overtake and replace passwords as the way we long onto services and apps www.newscientist.com/article/2508...
Passwords will be on the way out in 2026 as passkeys take over
The curse of having to remember easily hackable passwords may soon be over, as a new alternative is set to take over in 2026
www.newscientist.com
January 6, 2026 at 5:23 PM
My latest for @newscientist.com forecasts how passkeys will overtake and replace passwords as the way we long onto services and apps www.newscientist.com/article/2508...
Chip shortages appear to be everywhere as we head into 2026 - so when will the market unwind? My latest for @tomshardware.com explores what's likely next www.tomshardware.com/tech-industr...
A deeper look at the tightened chipmaking supply chain, and where it may be headed in 2026 — "nobody's scaling up,” says analyst as industry remains conservative on capacity
We sit down with two high-profile analysts to get some answers about where the chipmaking industry might be headed next.
www.tomshardware.com
January 6, 2026 at 2:32 PM
Chip shortages appear to be everywhere as we head into 2026 - so when will the market unwind? My latest for @tomshardware.com explores what's likely next www.tomshardware.com/tech-industr...
My latest for @bmj.com looks at the challenges NHS staff have in trying to juggle multiple logins across multiple devices www.bmj.com/content/392/...
Multiple password frustration: can the NHS solve its logging-in problem?
IT issues are a bugbear for NHS staff, and the 10 year plan includes an ambitious goal for change. Chris Stokel-Walker asks whether streamlining logins across the health service—with “single sign-on”—...
www.bmj.com
January 6, 2026 at 11:53 AM
My latest for @bmj.com looks at the challenges NHS staff have in trying to juggle multiple logins across multiple devices www.bmj.com/content/392/...
Only a certain word count (and also for a very different audience, sadly)
January 4, 2026 at 7:11 PM
Only a certain word count (and also for a very different audience, sadly)
I'm in today's @thetimes.com writing about how to use ChatGPT like a pro www.thetimes.com/article/cc6b...
How to use ChatGPT like a pro
Like your most dedicated employee, it will work better when you’re clear, firm — and supportive, says tech writer Chris Stokel-Walker
www.thetimes.com
January 4, 2026 at 1:46 PM
I'm in today's @thetimes.com writing about how to use ChatGPT like a pro www.thetimes.com/article/cc6b...
Happy new year! Enjoy our latest episode of Crashed, where we invited our smart listeners to make predictions (then I made a late-December prediction that has *already* proven to be out of date by the time the podcast published) open.spotify.com/episode/5vPX...
Spotify – Web Player
open.spotify.com
January 2, 2026 at 8:01 AM
Happy new year! Enjoy our latest episode of Crashed, where we invited our smart listeners to make predictions (then I made a late-December prediction that has *already* proven to be out of date by the time the podcast published) open.spotify.com/episode/5vPX...
My first story of the year - for BBC Science Focus - looks at how the Australian social media ban for under-16s provides a perfect test bed for whether such regulation actually works www.sciencefocus.com/news/austral...
Most people think social media is bad for kids. Australia is trying to prove it | BBC Science Focus Magazine
The country has banned kids from using social media. The world is watching to see what happens next
www.sciencefocus.com
January 2, 2026 at 8:00 AM
My first story of the year - for BBC Science Focus - looks at how the Australian social media ban for under-16s provides a perfect test bed for whether such regulation actually works www.sciencefocus.com/news/austral...
Sick of your relatives yet? Alex Hudson and I are here to help with a special festive episode of Crashed. In keeping with the festive spirit, it's... a clip show of our best bits of the first 10 episodes. Give it a listen podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/i...
It's Christmas! A sincere thank you and the best bits
Podcast Episode · Crashed · 25/12/2025 · 34m
podcasts.apple.com
December 25, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Sick of your relatives yet? Alex Hudson and I are here to help with a special festive episode of Crashed. In keeping with the festive spirit, it's... a clip show of our best bits of the first 10 episodes. Give it a listen podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/i...
No, it’s just in the ChatGPT Wrapped thing in the app (but I think people don’t realise they could be 7,999,999 and still be a top 1%)
December 24, 2025 at 5:08 PM
No, it’s just in the ChatGPT Wrapped thing in the app (but I think people don’t realise they could be 7,999,999 and still be a top 1%)
Are the EU and UK likely to follow in Australia's footsteps to ban children from social media? My last story of the year for @nikkei.com Digital Governance (with more to come next year!) www.nikkei.com/prime/digita...
子どものSNS禁止、EUも前向き 英国では年齢制限で混乱 - 日経デジタルガバナンス
欧州連合（EU）は子どもたちが動画共有アプリTikTok（ティックトック）などで過ごす時間を減らし、オフラインで過ごす時間を増やすべきだと考えている。EUの欧州議会は11月末、16歳以下の子どもに対してソーシャルメディア、動画共有プラットフォーム、AIコンパニオンの利用を禁止するルールを導入するかどうかの採決をとった。投票は拘束力はないものの、賛成483、反対92で可決された。オンラインで「未
www.nikkei.com
December 24, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Are the EU and UK likely to follow in Australia's footsteps to ban children from social media? My last story of the year for @nikkei.com Digital Governance (with more to come next year!) www.nikkei.com/prime/digita...
My Christmas present to all of you who are amazed you are in the top 1% of ChatGPT users: one percent of a big number (800 million weekly users) is a big number (8 million people). Merry Christmas everyone
December 24, 2025 at 2:35 PM
My Christmas present to all of you who are amazed you are in the top 1% of ChatGPT users: one percent of a big number (800 million weekly users) is a big number (8 million people). Merry Christmas everyone
Reposted by Chris Stokel-Walker
Smartphones are pretty wonderful things - but they do far more than just make phone calls, send texts, and load social media feeds. The folks at @theguardian.com asked me to outline some of the more out-there things you can use your device for www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
A tape measure, a metal detector and a spirit level: 25 surprisingly useful things you can do with your phone
While many use our phones predominantly to doomscroll, smartphones have a range of little-known functions that could make life better and easier – from heart monitoring to even developing camera film
www.theguardian.com
December 21, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Smartphones are pretty wonderful things - but they do far more than just make phone calls, send texts, and load social media feeds. The folks at @theguardian.com asked me to outline some of the more out-there things you can use your device for www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Reposted by Chris Stokel-Walker
Is the deal for US investors to take a stake in TikTok a win for national security - or is it a shakedown? My latest for @fastcompany.com www.fastcompany.com/91464665/tik...
What's really going on with the TikTok deal
A big win for national security? Or a shakedown?
www.fastcompany.com
December 22, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Is the deal for US investors to take a stake in TikTok a win for national security - or is it a shakedown? My latest for @fastcompany.com www.fastcompany.com/91464665/tik...
If Santa is bringing your child an AI-powered toy this Christmas, my story for @fastcompany.com about who's legally liable if it starts spewing sex talk or violent advice might be useful in the coming days... www.fastcompany.com/91463100/ai-...
When AI-powered toys go rogue
Who's legally liable when your kid's talking bear misbehaves?
www.fastcompany.com
December 23, 2025 at 8:14 AM
If Santa is bringing your child an AI-powered toy this Christmas, my story for @fastcompany.com about who's legally liable if it starts spewing sex talk or violent advice might be useful in the coming days... www.fastcompany.com/91463100/ai-...
The folks at @newscientist.com asked me to look back on what I think was my most impactful story of the year - getting the UK government to release ChatGPT logs (and subsequently, governments elsewhere doing the same) www.newscientist.com/article/2504...
New Scientist changed the UK's freedom of information laws in 2025
By requesting copies of the then-UK technology secretary's ChatGPT logs, New Scientist set a precedent for how freedom of information laws apply to chatbot interactions, helping to hold governments to...
www.newscientist.com
December 23, 2025 at 8:10 AM
The folks at @newscientist.com asked me to look back on what I think was my most impactful story of the year - getting the UK government to release ChatGPT logs (and subsequently, governments elsewhere doing the same) www.newscientist.com/article/2504...
Is the deal for US investors to take a stake in TikTok a win for national security - or is it a shakedown? My latest for @fastcompany.com www.fastcompany.com/91464665/tik...
What's really going on with the TikTok deal
A big win for national security? Or a shakedown?
www.fastcompany.com
December 22, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Is the deal for US investors to take a stake in TikTok a win for national security - or is it a shakedown? My latest for @fastcompany.com www.fastcompany.com/91464665/tik...
Smartphones are pretty wonderful things - but they do far more than just make phone calls, send texts, and load social media feeds. The folks at @theguardian.com asked me to outline some of the more out-there things you can use your device for www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
A tape measure, a metal detector and a spirit level: 25 surprisingly useful things you can do with your phone
While many use our phones predominantly to doomscroll, smartphones have a range of little-known functions that could make life better and easier – from heart monitoring to even developing camera film
www.theguardian.com
December 21, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Smartphones are pretty wonderful things - but they do far more than just make phone calls, send texts, and load social media feeds. The folks at @theguardian.com asked me to outline some of the more out-there things you can use your device for www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Reposted by Chris Stokel-Walker
My latest for @techpolicypress.bsky.social looks at the drive for European tech sovereignty that took place this year - and what's likely to happen in 2026 www.techpolicy.press/europe-tried...
Europe Tried to Take Control of Its Digital Stack in 2025. Where Does It Stand Now? | TechPolicy.Press
Many proposals aim to curb US hegemony — but can the EU reduce overconcentration without replacing US giants with European ones? Chris Stokel-Walker reports.
www.techpolicy.press
December 19, 2025 at 2:44 PM
My latest for @techpolicypress.bsky.social looks at the drive for European tech sovereignty that took place this year - and what's likely to happen in 2026 www.techpolicy.press/europe-tried...