Latest Interviews
Showing 46–60 of 294 interview transcripts.
Clear all filters- The Economist6 min
What does The Economist’s election model predict for the midterms | The Economist
*The Economist*'s forecasting model predicts a 98% likelihood of Democrats flipping the House while estimating only a 48% chance of securing Senate control, heavily influenced by the President's low approval ratings and historical midterm trends. The Senate outlook hinges on winning key races in North Carolina and Michigan alongside successful Republican recruitments in Ohio and Alaska, as the party requires a 51-seat majority to overcome a structurally favorable map. Although the House projection assumes current district lines remain intact despite potential judicial interventions in Virginia and Florida, the Senate forecast explicitly accounts for primary uncertainty and the critical variable of candidate quality in competitive states.
- The Economist9 min
AI has got better at hacking—how big a risk is it?
Anthropic withheld its latest model, Mythos, from public release after it demonstrated the ability to autonomously identify and exploit critical software vulnerabilities, such as a 27-year-old OpenBSD flaw, with minimal human intervention. This decision follows evidence that AI scaling laws now enable automated systems to accelerate the vulnerability exploitation cycle from years to mere hours, drastically outpacing current defensive capabilities. While Anthropic employed responsible disclosure by patching the specific bug before sharing details, the incident highlights a growing risk that open-source models will soon democratize high-level cyberattacks.
- The Economist9 min
The new AI model that’s alarming Washington | The Economist
Zanny Minton Beddoes, Edward Carr, Zannie, Daria, Ed, Alex, Dario Amadei
Anthropic has unveiled Mythos, an AI model demonstrating unprecedented cybersecurity capabilities that triggered immediate emergency meetings involving US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Federal Reserve Chair Jay Powell, and major tech executives. To prevent the democratization of these dangerous attack vectors, the company has restricted general access to a select group of partners including Apple and Microsoft, mirroring safety protocols from 2019 while aiming to help firms patch vulnerabilities before the technology leaks. This crisis has catalyzed a shift in the Trump administration's stance, prompting discussions on international coordination and a potential industry-led certification framework to manage the deployment of high-risk AI models.
- The Economist10 min
How close is Iran to having a nuclear weapon? | The Economist
Rafael Mariano Grossi, David Rennie
Following a 12-day military conflict that obscured the location of 440 kilograms of highly enriched uranium, the IAEA reports no evidence of systematic weapon production despite Iran's failure to account for nuclear material. Agency leadership rejects claims that military strikes or diplomatic promises can neutralize the threat, emphasizing that technical knowledge remains indelible and physical verification is the only viable path to ensuring peaceful compliance. The current geopolitical tension has significantly complicated access to Iranian facilities, leaving the international community without confirmation of whether the undisclosed uranium remains in inspected sites or has been diverted.
- The Economist8 min
Donald Trump’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is a dangerous gamble | The Economist
Donald Trump, Shashank Joshi, Rosie Blau
U.S. Central Command is implementing an economic blockade targeting all vessels transiting Iranian coastal waters to cripple Tehran's revenue and force negotiations on its nuclear program. This strategy risks triggering a global energy crisis with Brent crude projected to hit $150 per barrel if Iran retaliates by restricting neutral shipping in the Gulf of Oman. Analysts warn that the move may alienate key allies and ultimately fail, as Tehran appears prepared to outlast the U.S. administration amid approaching midterm elections.
- The Economist6 min
How Hungary’s election result could change Europe | The Economist
Matt Steinglass, Rosie Blau, Viktor Orban, Peter Magyar, Vladimir Putin
Hungarian opposition leader Péter Márki-Zay led a historic coalition victory with a two-thirds parliamentary majority, ending 16 years of Viktor Orbán's Fidesz rule after a 77% voter turnout driven by rural discontent over corruption and Russia-aligned policies. The new administration has pledged to immediately unfreeze approximately €20 billion in EU aid and dismantle constitutional "poison pills" that previously allowed the former regime to block agendas, including court control. This pivotal shift secures a path for Hungary to align with European Union norms, removes obstacles to sanctions on Russia, and marks a significant setback for international national conservative populist movements.
- The Economist6 min
Google DeepMind’s boss on AI, power, God and what’s next | The Economist
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.
- The Economist7 min
Has America frozen Israel out of ceasefire talks with Iran? | The Economist
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.
- The Economist10 min
Why America and Iran are both claiming victory | The Economist
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.
- The Economist9 min
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.
- The Economist9 min
How America is racing China to the Moon | The Economist
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.
- The Economist9 min
Is a private-credit meltdown the next financial crisis? | The Economist
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.
- The Economist9 min
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.
- The Economist9 min
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.
- The Economist6 min
Christine Lagarde: “Europe-bashing is vastly excessive” | The Economist
Christine Lagarde, Zanny Minton Beddoes
Despite the European Union's historical success in preventing war, the bloc now faces severe economic stagnation relative to the United States, characterized by a widening GDP gap, declining competitiveness, and growing populist unrest. While former Prime Minister Mario Draghi proposed extensive reforms and external pressures from Donald Trump's administration further exposed European vulnerabilities, progress remains incremental rather than transformative. This deteriorating landscape forces a strategic reckoning as the EU attempts to leverage its superior healthcare and social stability while navigating increasing diplomatic hostility from the US.