The third season of the Digital Reality podcast has come to an end. The season featured 16 episodes, in which industry experts discussed the most pressing and relevant news in the world of the internet and digital technologies, starting from the introduction of new internet protocols to issues of regulation and platform liability.
Thousands of people listened and viewed the podcast: episodes of the third season gained 13,000 views on video platforms and more than a thousand plays on audio platforms. In total, еру three seasons included 44 episodes featuring 27 IT industry experts.
In the latest season, the experts discussed over 70 news items covering the most high-profile and exciting events related to technology, politics and society. The defining theme of the season was artificial intelligence in all its diverse forms and applications: from ChatGPT and Ironwood to ambitious government initiatives aimed at regulating AI in Russia, the EU, the US, the UAE, and China.
Cybersecurity was the second most prominent topic: from malicious fake compilers infecting hackers’ own systems and massive data leaks exposing millions of users, to facial recognition cameras in Russia learning to identify ethnicity, and growing demands in Europe for backdoors in messengers. In response, both governments and corporations are more vocal in discussing regulation, oversight, and the transformation of the digital landscape. Technological breakthroughs also captured the spotlight, including advancements in thermonuclear reactors, biocomputers, lithium-free external batteries, and humanoid robots powered by biomuscles.
“The podcast gathered experts who view the digital world form different angles, from ethical to infrastructural ones. In the episodes, we tried analyzing the way technologies are changing the world, the economy, and everyday life. Topics that seem too specialized at first glance become relevant for the widest audience,” said Andrei Romanov, Deputy Director of the Coordination Center for TLDs .RU/.РФ and the project’s inspirer.
He also added: “In our podcast, we don’t offer ready-made answers but invite our audience to engage with meaningful questions that spark reflection on what the internet of tomorrow will look like and who is shaping it. This format allows listeners to gain a deeper understanding of what is going on: not as abstract ‘news from the future,’ but as tangible solutions that define both the digital present and the future.”
The Digital Reality is more than a podcast: it is an entire media project that unites people who care about what the digital future will look like.
The Digital Reality Telegram channel is a platform for exploring issues of digital policy, internet governance and evolution in Russia and worldwide. It features latest news, analytical content, coverage of major developments in the field, and announcements of upcoming events. The project also maintains an active VK group.
However, the story of Digital Reality began with a namesake discussion club, created for those interested in internet governance. While the bulk of its participants are alumni of the Summer Internet Governance School, the club’s meetings are open to anyone interested in the topic. It is a unique venue where expert opinions are shared and the most urgent and thought-provoking issues are openly debated. Over the four years, the club has welcomed around 2,300 participants, hosted over 90 expert speakers, and held more than 30 streams.
Thank you for watching this season. See you in the next one!
