Latest Interviews

Google DeepMind’s boss on AI, power, God and what’s next | The Economist

Demis Hassabis, Alex Hern

An AI researcher outlines a vision where artificial general intelligence serves as a fundamental scientific instrument to solve existential challenges like disease and energy crises, rather than a tool for corporate dominance or "making God." Despite a fragmented geopolitical landscape that hinders the preferred international cooperation model, the speaker advocates for cautious optimism and the establishment of minimum safety standards agreed upon by leading labs. This approach aims to ensure the safe delivery of AGI within roughly five years, fulfilling a lifelong mission that prioritizes global benefit over personal accolades.

A Conversation with Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr | Global Conference 2025

Brendan Carr, David Faber

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has launched the agency's most significant deregulatory initiative in history, seeking to eliminate approximately 2,000 active dockets and establish a new Council on National Security to counter perceived Chinese infiltration risks. The administration prioritizes accelerating 5G and 6G deployment by restoring FCC auction authority to generate over $80 billion and transitioning federal spectrum to the commercial market, while simultaneously reviewing major mergers like Verizon-Frontier and T-Mobile U.S. Cellular. Carr further defended distinct regulatory obligations for broadcasters to support localism and dismissed conflicts regarding his Comcast background as the FCC moves to eliminate legacy copper retirement rules in favor of modern IP infrastructure.

Has America frozen Israel out of ceasefire talks with Iran? | The Economist

Anshel Pfeffer, Jason Palmer

Direct negotiations led by Donald Trump through Pakistan to resolve the Iran conflict face a stalemate because Iran insists on a Lebanon ceasefire and Israel refuses to participate or extend the truce to its northern front. While President Trump reportedly possesses the leverage to force Netanyahu to halt airstrikes, the Prime Minister persists due to domestic election pressures and the failure of the war to achieve its core strategic objectives. These unresolved tensions, compounded by internal U.S. administration dissent and the strategic threat in the Strait of Hormuz, have begun to fracture the previously unified operational alliance between the two nations.

What America and Iran want from negotiations | The Economist

Amidst a severe trust deficit, US demands for Iran to surrender approximately 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium clash with Tehran's strategic pivot toward leveraging the Strait of Hormuz as a maritime toll mechanism. While pragmatic Iranian officials seek sanctions relief for their damaged petrochemical infrastructure, they remain resistant to ceding missile and drone capabilities that serve as critical regional deterrents. Consequently, the conflict has evolved beyond a narrow nuclear dispute into a broader contest over US-recognized leverage and the potential for a permanent toll system that could alienate American Gulf allies.

Big Tech Opportunity

Lee Coppersmith, Mike Washington

Following a two-week ceasefire that triggered a rapid 2.5–3% market rally, institutional investors are shifting from defensive shorting strategies to re-entering secular winners, particularly within the artificial intelligence theme. While broad index volatility has reset, significant dislocation remains in mega-cap tech, where low valuations and suppressed positioning mirror conditions seen during the March 2020 crash, creating a specific opportunity for call option exposure. With earnings reports serving as the upcoming catalyst, client sentiment is pivoting toward resilience and upside potential as geopolitical risks recede into the background.

Why America and Iran are both claiming victory | The Economist

Gregg Carlstrom, Jason Palmer

Amidst an imminent US-imposed deadline that remains vulnerable to postponement, the US, Israel, and Iran are engaged in parallel asymmetric conflicts where both sides claim strategic victory despite failing to secure their core objectives. While recent operations highlighted the destruction of US critical assets like E3 AWACS planes and significant damage to Gulf bases, simultaneous systemic strikes on Iran have severely degraded its military supply chains and economic output, driving inflation above 52% and threatening $7 billion in non-oil revenue. With forward-looking risks escalating toward potential attacks on Iran's power grid or retaliatory strikes against Gulf desalination facilities, the current trajectory favors prolonged escalation over any near-term diplomatic resolution or temporary truce.

Natural Gas in Focus: Iran Conflict Could Have ‘Very Painful’ Consequences

Samantha Dart, Alison Nathan

Ongoing attacks on Qatari LNG infrastructure have eliminated 20% of global supplies with a three-to-five-year recovery timeline, creating a critical inventory deficit that exceeds current alternative flows from China. Although prices have surged 50% to 70%, these levels remain insufficient to trigger widespread demand destruction in Asia, leaving markets vulnerable to severe winter spikes if the conflict prolongs. Experts warn that this uncertainty allows prices to creep upward without forcing the necessary industrial shutdowns, meaning a worst-case scenario could drive rates 100% higher to rebalance inventories before next winter.

Time to Heal: Bring the Hostages Home Now, A Conversation with Noa Argamani | Global Conference 2025

Noa Argamani, Richard Sandler

At the Milken Institute Global Conference, rescued hostage Noam Gamani detailed the lethal conditions and ongoing execution of captives held in Gaza, specifically highlighting the unresolved status of her partner Avi Natan. Gamani, recognized as a 2025 *Time* 100 inductee, urged global leaders to maintain relentless public pressure through visible advocacy to secure a comprehensive negotiation deal for the 59 remaining hostages. She emphasized that the crisis remains an active war zone where daily casualties occur unless immediate diplomatic action addresses the imminent threat of death for those still imprisoned.

A Conversation with Fernando Haddad, Minister of Finance of Brazil | Global Conference 2025

Fernando Haddad, Laura Deal Lacey

President Lula's administration projects a sustainable 3% annual economic growth trajectory through structural tax reforms, a new carbon market, and a Vice Presidential-led reindustrialization plan targeting hundreds of billions in private investment. This domestic strategy is reinforced by a dedicated National Data Center Policy promoting green digital infrastructure and solidified international partnerships under the G20 and BRICS frameworks to drive climate governance and the upcoming COP30 summit. With advanced infrastructure concessions and commitments such as a $34 billion corporate investment package, Brazil positions itself as a secure hub for sustainable capital seeking alignment with its 90% clean energy matrix.

Will China be the real winner from the Iran war? | The Economist

Edward Carr, David Rennie, Adam Roberts, Zanny Minton Beddoes, Ed

Chinese strategic leadership now prioritizes establishing new economic chokeholds in pharmaceuticals and chemicals while explicitly exploiting Donald Trump's transactional nature to secure high-end chip access, fearing that his potential political decline would empower hawkish rivals like Marco Rubio. This approach is underpinned by a cynical calculation that the United States is losing global favorability and alliance cohesion, prompting Beijing to cautiously normalize relations with Southeast Asian partners and free-ride on the existing US-led security order. Despite acknowledging the need for systemic adaptation, China's strategy remains paralyzed by an internal contradiction, lacking a viable plan for a destabilized "law of the jungle" environment while simultaneously avoiding the risks required to lead a new global order.

How America is racing China to the Moon | The Economist

Oliver Morton, Rosie Blau

The Artemis II crew successfully launched on NASA's largest rocket, marking the first human spaceflight beyond Low Earth Orbit since the Apollo era. Under Administrator Jared Isaacman's leadership, this reconnaissance mission accelerates U.S. lunar ambitions to counter China's 2030 landing plans and establish a permanent lunar presence rather than a temporary visit. The spacecraft is currently executing a unique trajectory designed to culminate in a splashdown near San Diego by mission day ten, paving the way for the eventual Artemis III lunar landing.

What Everyone is Missing About Anthropic Vs The Pentagon

Rob Wiblin, Pete Hegseth

Anthropic refused to remove military contract restrictions prohibiting mass domestic surveillance and autonomous lethal decisions, prompting the Trump administration to designate the firm a "supply chain risk" and trigger a broad industry coalition led by competitors like OpenAI and Microsoft. Legal analysts suggest the company has a high probability of prevailing in court, potentially securing a preliminary injunction while establishing critical precedents against government overreach. This dispute reframes the debate from abstract control to specific contractual guardrails, uniting conservative and liberal voices in opposition to state-enforced mandates that violate democratic principles and rule-of-law norms.

Is a private-credit meltdown the next financial crisis? | The Economist

Mike, Josh

Private credit, a non-bank lending sector estimated at $1.5 to $3 trillion, surged following post-2008 regulatory shifts and a 2010s boom in private equity buyouts. Despite attracting institutional investors through high illiquidity premiums, recent redemption crises at major firms like Blue Owl Capital and Blackstone have exposed governance weaknesses and asset quality concerns. While experts predict a prolonged economic impact rather than a sudden systemic collapse, the sector faces ongoing scrutiny over the viability of its semi-liquid business model.

Peptides are not a miracle drug | The Economist

Natasha Loder, Tim Cross, Jason Palmer

Driven by high-profile endorsements and internet culture, the unregulated global market for peptides bypasses clinical trials to offer performance-enhancing substances riddled with purity risks and unknown long-term health effects. Regulatory bodies in the United States and United Kingdom are attempting to address this crisis through compounding pharmacy oversight and vendor crackdowns, yet enforcement struggles against the speed of online sales and social media promotion. Experts warn that without rigorous scientific validation, the current environment prioritizes profit and self-experimentation over the biological safety required to distinguish beneficial compounds from dangerous contaminants.

Big Oil’s Iran windfall won't last | The Economist

Vijay Vaitheeswaran, Alice Fulwood, Ethan Wu

At the record-breaking CIRA Week conference convened by historian Daniel Yergin, global energy executives expressed immediate financial jubilation regarding windfall profits from high oil prices while grappling with severe geopolitical risks threatening the Strait of Hormuz. Key figures like ADNOC CEO Sultan Al-Jaber and General Mattis warned that disruptions to this critical choke point endanger not only crude shipments but also essential fertilizer supplies and semiconductor helium, creating potential global food and technology crises. Simultaneously, the assembly noted a strategic disconnect in US policy regarding the conflict and observed that current instability is accelerating a structural shift toward electric vehicles and clean energy in emerging economies to reduce reliance on volatile supply chains.