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Digital Planet: Indians tweeting for oxygen

Factual: Science & Nature

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27/04/2021 GMT

Indians tweeting for oxygen

BBC World Service - Digital Planet, Indians tweeting for oxygen

Indians are sourcing medical supplies on social media during the latest wave of Covid19

Why Indians are sourcing medical supplies on Twitter; Using AI and satellite imagery to detect illegal brick kilns in Bangladesh; How the EU plans to regulate AI and biometric data

The latest wave of the Covid-19 pandemic affecting India has caused heart-breaking shortages of essential medical equipment across the country. As hospitals run out of beds and basic supplies like oxygen, citizens are turning to sites like Twitter and Instagram to source medicines, exchange knowledge and hold the government accountable. Ananya Bhattacharya from Quartz India explains how social media has influenced the response to the pandemic.


Illegal Brick Kilns in Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, the brick making industry provides thousands of jobs and supports the country’s rapid industrialisation – but the kilns used to make the bricks can be heavily polluting. Laws aim to mitigate the environmental and health impacts, but many brick factories have not implemented these changes. Dr Nina Brooks and her research team at Stanford University have developed an AI model that uses satellite imagery to identify which kilns are operating illegally,       and hope that it can be used to encourage more factories to abide by the law.


EU and AI regulation
This week the EU Commission published proposals to ban “AI systems considered a clear threat to the safety, livelihoods, and rights of people” and to increase the legal regulations of biometric data, such as facial recognition software. Technology journalist and independent researcher Dr. Stephanie Hare joins the show live to explain the proposals and their likely impacts in Europe and across the world.

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The programme is presented by Gareth Mitchell with expert commentary from Bill Thompson. 

Studio Manager: Duncan Hannant
Producer: Ania Lichtarowicz

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