Latest Interviews
Showing 1–15 of 116 transcripts.
Clear all filters- The Economist7 min
Why Russia is building its own version of Starlink | The Economist
Russia is advancing a non-functional satellite network projected for operational status within a year to enable precise targeting, while simultaneously executing terror campaigns with FPV drones and absorbing massive casualties estimated at 40,000 monthly to sustain a war-of-attrition strategy. Although Ukraine has secured limited territorial gains and developed innovative drone tactics, it faces constraints on striking Russian soil due to Elon Musk's refusal to authorize such operations and significant disparities in military resources. Meanwhile, recent diplomatic efforts involving Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have failed to produce immediate breakthroughs, as political calculations and Putin's focus on inflicting maximum damage suggest a prolonged conflict with no significant peace progress anticipated before winter.
- The Economist10 min
How Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown is making America weaker | The Economist
Recent administrative actions have redirected deportation efforts from the southern border to the U.S. interior while simultaneously halting asylum requests and freezing visa processing for dozens of countries, resulting in near-zero irregular border crossings. These restrictive policies, which include revoking temporary protected status and raising fees for student and work visas, have coincided with a one-million-person contraction in the labor force and a 29% decline in student visa issuance. Critics warn that the resulting hostility toward specific ethnic groups and nations threatens long-term economic growth by deterring high-skilled talent and shifting the burden of national debt to a shrinking workforce.
- The Economist12 min
Yuval Noah Harari on the dangers of an AI future | The Economist
Yuval Noah Harari, Zanny Minton Beddoes
A 2026 analysis warns that AI could assume total control of financial and social systems by 2036 if human decisions regarding algorithms, trust, and regulation fail to intervene. The speaker highlights critical risks including the mass production of artificial intimacy, the erosion of truth via undetectable deepfakes, and the imminent need to ban AI legal personhood and human mimicking technologies. Immediate political action is urged to address these threats before technological acceleration reaches irreversible thresholds in late 2028.
- The Economist7 min
What’s life like as a woman under the Taliban? | The Economist
Tom Sasse, Zanny Minton Beddoes, Hibatullah Akhundzada, Chris, Steve
Under the leadership of Emir Haibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban has enforced sweeping restrictions that ban girls from secondary education, exclude women from public universities, and legally validate child marriage through a series of hardline decrees. Although an ideological rift exists between the Emir's isolated, ultra-conservative faction in Kandahar and moderate Taliban members who oppose these bans, Haibatullah has consolidated power using a loyal armed force to suppress internal dissent. While these measures have collapsed the public education system for females and deepened societal dissatisfaction, the Emir currently retains full authority despite expert doubts regarding the long-term sustainability of such repression.
- The Economist7 min
Why China and America see AI differently | The Economist
While over 80% of the Chinese public maintains an optimistic view of AI driven by decades of technological progress, significant structural anxieties persist among tech workers facing age discrimination and mass layoffs. In response, authorities have launched a five-year monitoring strategy utilizing real-time data on power usage and payment flows to detect early signs of workforce disruption and preemptively stabilize the labor market. Despite these proactive government interventions aimed at balancing innovation with social stability, experts remain skeptical about whether retraining programs can match the rapid scale of AI-driven economic shifts without triggering explosive instability.
- The Economist6 min
Who’s really running Iran? | The Economist
David Rennie, Dr Sanam Vakil, Sir Simon Gass
Following a decapitation campaign by U.S. and Israeli forces that eliminated Iran's supreme leader and three layers of military command, the regime is navigating an existential survival war under the succession of the ailing Mojtaba Khamenei. Despite the loss of key figures like Ali Larijani, a consensus-based vote by 12 of 13 Supreme National Security Council members in June confirmed a unified commitment to signing a new MOU driven by rational forward defense rather than irrational hatred. Although the IRGC currently holds increased influence, the system faces critical uncertainty regarding Mojtaba's ability to replicate his predecessor's patronage network while managing severe health issues and a shifting political balance.
- The Economist9 min
Is billionaire wealth becoming more legitimate? | The Economist
Recent research distinguishes between "competitive wealth" derived from creating goods and services and "uncompetitive wealth" from natural resources or political favors, finding the former is expanding while the latter declines. This shift is driven by rapid consumer growth in China, strong market returns, and the mobile-first internet era, which has fueled self-made billionaires in sectors like entertainment and retail rather than just technology. Consequently, data indicates that effective tax rates for the wealthiest Americans are high and that aggressive wealth taxes on competitive entrepreneurs may incur greater economic costs than the benefits of curbing inequality.
- The Economist7 min
Elon Musk on Europe, the far right and civil war in Britain | The Economist
Elon Musk, Zanny Minton Beddoes
Elon Musk and an interviewer clashed over the classification of his political views and his claims that civil war in Britain is inevitable due to demographic shifts. While Musk defended his promotion of a film depicting vigilante violence and rejected accusations of racism by citing his personal relationships, the interviewer challenged his assertions with crime statistics and labeled his influence on UK politics as irresponsible and based on a distorted American perception. Despite Musk's dismissal of his critics as a minority, the discussion highlighted a fundamental disagreement over his role in shaping public discourse and the validity of his warnings regarding Western safety and immigration.
- The Economist6 min
The art of deception in modern war | The Economist
The event analyzes how modern deception strategies now target an adversary's intent rather than mere presence to neutralize overwhelming surveillance, drawing on historical precedents like D-Day alongside recent intelligence failures in Ukraine, Israel, and Russia. It further details how transparent battlespaces compel forces to deploy resource-intensive drone operations that paradoxically increase human density and logistical footprints, requiring teams of five and nearly two tons of equipment per unit. By forcing enemies to waste munitions on decoys, these tactics aim to degrade capabilities, though the summary notes their inherent vulnerability and limited operational endurance of roughly three days.
- The Economist7 min
Why Le Pen is keeping Trump at a distance | The Economist
Le Pen, Trump, Edward Carr, Adam Roberts, Sophie Pedder
France currently stands as Europe's only power combining significant military spending with the operational will to deploy forces globally, fostering a strong strategic partnership between President Macron and Prime Minister Starmer. Conversely, the rise of the far-right National Rally under Marine Le Pen threatens to fracture the EU's core France-Germany axis by prioritizing national sovereignty over integration, potentially clashing with Berlin on Ukraine policy and demanding fiscal concessions. While Le Pen's administration seeks to reduce EU contributions and rollback regulations, the French public's reluctance toward total withdrawal may force the party to adopt a more restrained, albeit disruptive, approach to European reform.
- The Economist8 min
Has the AI boom entered a manic new phase? | The Economist
Henry Curr, Mike Bird, Josh Roberts
US equity markets have reached near-record capitalization levels driven primarily by massive AI-focused "giga IPOs" like SpaceX and anticipated offerings from Anthropic and OpenAI. This concentration, now comprising nearly 40% of the S&P 500, coincides with unusual retail participation and inverted options pricing that signal a shift toward speculative mania. Simultaneously, major technology firms have redirected capital expenditure toward infrastructure, causing a collapse in free cash flow and transforming the sector into a dominant force in global corporate debt markets.
- The Economist9 min
Why America is stepping away from the institutions it built | The Economist
U.S. foreign policy is undergoing a structural shift from values-based engagement to a transactional approach, driven by a bipartisan consensus that the post-World War II order has failed to deliver sufficient economic returns or strategic advantages. Former President Trump's 2015 platform catalyzed this pivot by framing the abandonment of multilateral institutions as a correction to decades of free-riding, leading to increased reliance on tariffs and coercive trade rather than traditional alliances. Experts project three potential futures for this realignment: a renegotiated U.S. hegemony, a fragmented status quo, or a chaotic descent into systemic collapse triggered by unchecked military coercion.
- The Economist7 min
Should Latin America replicate El Salvador’s President Bukele’s crackdown on gangs? | The Economist
Bukele, Zanny Minton Beddoes, Edward Carr
El Salvador has dramatically reduced its murder rate to levels comparable to Canada by imprisoning 2% of its adult population while systematically dismantling democratic institutions, including the legislature and judiciary, to consolidate power under President Nayib Bukele. This authoritarian security model exploits the distinct economics of extortion, which relies on civilian reporting, unlike drug trafficking operations where high profits from prohibition incentivize continued cultivation and recruitment. While experts debate the exportability of Bukele's tactics, the consensus identifies the legalization of cocaine and the shift from military eradication to financial investigation as the only viable long-term strategies to dismantle illicit trade networks.
- The Economist7 min
Germany’s army chief on AI, drones and the future of the tank | The Economist
Lieutenant General Christian Freuding, Shashank Joshi
German land forces are prioritizing five critical capability gaps, including indirect fires, electronic warfare, and AI-enabled command and control, to support a future where tanks serve as manned "motherships" for unmanned systems. Concurrently, military strategists are treating data as a vital ammunition reserve that requires automated exploitation to overcome human processing limits on the modern battlefield. This transition faces significant NATO-wide debate regarding the optimal balance between emerging technologies and legacy platforms, a tension recently highlighted by high-profile resignations in the UK defense ministry over innovation concerns.
- The Economist7 min
Can Donald Trump secure a deal with Cuba? | The Economist
Donald Trump, Dr Christopher Sabatini, David Rennie, Sarah Birke, Christopher
A proposed transactional framework seeks to secure Cuban economic relief, including lifting the oil embargo, in exchange for a credible multi-party election plan. Key figures like Marco Rubio and Donald Trump aim to satisfy the Cuban-American voting bloc by offering a political roadmap that prioritizes economic liberalization over immediate regime change. Despite skepticism regarding the administration's long-term commitment, proponents argue that even a flawed agreement could dismantle the current stagnant leadership structure.