Business Daily

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Is France failing its older workers? Sep 28, 2025

Show notes

The French government has launched a campaign against what it calls “the last discrimination”: ageism.

It’s one that a lot of people in the country consider to be justified, and which makes it about three times more difficult to get a job interview. But it’s costly.

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, please email us at businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presented and produced by John Laurenson

(Picture: Job-seeker, Geraldine Coquand.)

Business Daily meets: Rahul Vatts Sep 25, 2025

Show notes

Thirty years ago, India made its first mobile call. Back then, Rahul Vatts was just starting out at India’s telecom giant, Airtel.

Now the company’s Chief Regulatory Officer, he’s witnessed the country transform into one of the world’s largest digital markets. We hear about his career journey and learn how new technology is being rolled out in rural parts of India.

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presented and produced by Devina Gupta

(Picture: Rahul Vatts.)

Home is where the debt is Sep 24, 2025

Show notes

Is the dream of home ownership slipping out of reach for many Americans?

Prices are climbing, supply can’t keep up with demand, and high interest rates are keeping sellers on the side-lines.

Tariffs and rising construction costs are squeezing builders too, piling more pressure on families and the economy.

We hear from first-time buyers, builders and real estate agents all trying to navigate the changing market.

Produced and presented by Monica Miller

(Image: A family look at a new home in the US. Credit: Getty Images)

The growth of barefoot shoes Sep 23, 2025

Show notes

Once a niche product for runners, footwear that makes you feel like you’re not wearing any is now crossing into the mainstream.

We’ll hear from fans chasing everyday health benefits as well as from brands in the UK, India and US. And we’ll ask whether the barefoot movement is here to stay…

Produced and presented by Helen Ledwick

(Image: Barefoot shoes on display at a 'try on' event in Birmingham, UK)

Why China’s property bubble burst Sep 21, 2025

Show notes

In the early 2000s, the country had one of the biggest real estate booms seen anywhere in the world - at its peak accounting for 30% of GDP.

But in 2020 that quickly started to unravel. Now, the largest Chinese companies are being taken to court and dismantled, and property bought by ordinary citizens who invested in real estate has plummeted in value.

What went wrong, and how does the crisis affect the rest of the world?

You can get in touch with the programme by emailing us at businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presented and produced by Matt Lines

(Picture: A China Evergrande property development is in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China, in August, 2025. Credit: Getty Images)

No AI, thanks Sep 18, 2025

Show notes

Many skilled professionals working within creative fields are unhappy about how AI is impacting their industry. They want to protect their work and the creative process from artificial intelligence because of fears over things like job protection, devaluation of skills, and a loss of control over their work.

Some small and medium-sized companies in other industries also say they plan to never use AI technology.

We discuss why that is, and ask whether those businesses that don’t embrace the technology may fall behind.

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, send us an email to businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presented and produced by Hannah Mullane

(Picture: Actress and filmmaker Justine Bateman, who runs the CREDO 23 film festival, which is billed as a non-AI event, in Los Angeles, California. Credit: Steven Meiers Dominguez)

Could AI ever replace the news? Sep 17, 2025

Show notes

In December 2023, a video was posted on X that generated a lot of attention. Gaining more than five million views in 24 hours, it showed a team of AI-generated TV anchors flawlessly delivering the day’s top headlines.

We investigate how the media industry is embracing artificial intelligence; from the outlets using the technology to re-voice presenters, to the start-ups that use it to script entire news reports.

We also look at the editorial issues facing journalists, ask about the public appetite for AI news, and speak to those fighting AI disinformation around the world.

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, you can email us at businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Sam Gruet Producer: Megan Lawton

(Picture: An AI-generated female TV news presenter on Channel 1 News. Credit: Channel 1)

UAE: The next AI powerhouse? Sep 16, 2025

Show notes

When US president Donald Trump visited the Middle East earlier this year, he announced a number of deals between the US and countries in the region.

One major deal was for a partnership to build a massive data centre in Abu Dhabi that is expected to be the largest artificial intelligence (AI) campus outside the US.

We ask whether the Gulf can become a major AI power - and at what geopolitical cost?

Produced and presented by Sameer Hashmi

(Image: US president Donald Trump and UAE president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan unveiled a model of the AI campus. Credit: WAM)

The global AI divide Sep 15, 2025

Show notes

The US and China dominate the field of artificial intelligence - between them they’re responsible for 90% of the world’s AI infrastructure. Where does this leave the rest of the world?

We speak to an AI business in Kenya, a country that doesn’t benefit from lots of investment in the sector.

We discuss the difficulties of trying to innovate in Argentina.

And we explore the divide between regions seeing a lot of investment in the industry compared to those that aren’t, and what this could mean for the future.

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, you can email us at businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presented and produced by Hannah Mullane

(Picture: Computer science professor Nicolas Wolovick, in Argentina, next to a supercomputer. Credit: Nicolas Wolovick)

Generation AI Sep 14, 2025

Show notes

Entry level jobs are likely to be the most affected by artificial intelligence. AI can already do a lot of tasks typically given to junior staff, and businesses are already looking at their hiring policies as a result. We speak to recruiters, businesses, and graduates about what the job search is like right now, and how the world of work could be shaped by advances in technology in the future.

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, email us at businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presented and produced by Hannah Mullane

(Picture: A team of young people in a modern office discussing their project. Credit: Getty Images)

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