The nose of a dog is incredibly sensitive. Odour contains information – and now machines are being trained to sniff it out. With the help of artificial intelligence, electronic 'noses' are being developed to detect complex odours, including those of diseases.
Chris Vallance, presenter of the BBC's Tech Life podcast, visited a company that is developing this technology. While details of the firm were not disclosed in the programme, the visit highlighted how AI can replicate the olfactory skills of animals.
“AI-powered electronic noses are being trained to detect diseases using odour, mimicking dogs' sensitive sense of smell.”
In the same episode, Shiona McCallum was in Paris to see technology that can help us understand sleep. Meanwhile, Liv McMahon joined Chris on a walk in a park to try one of several bird identification apps that are proving a hit, especially with younger users.
The episode, produced by Tom Quinn, aired on 21 July 2026 and is available for over a year. It underscores a growing trend: using AI to decode the information hidden in smells, potentially revolutionising disease detection.