Latest Interviews
Showing 1–9 of 9 transcripts.
Clear all filters- Milken Institute59 min
Global Economic Outlook: Navigating Growth, Risk, and Opportunity | Global Conference 2026
Conrad Kiechel, Zanny Minton Beddoes, Kristalina Georgieva, Mohamed Kande, Ariel Szarfsztejn, Mike Wirth
A two-month closure of the Strait of Hormuz has removed 14 million barrels daily from the global market, driving Brent crude near $115 while depleting strategic reserves and forcing the IMF to adopt adverse economic scenarios. Simultaneously, the AI sector has pivoted from generative tools to agentic automation, eliminating entry-level roles and triggering an international cyberarms race. These converging crises create a volatile environment where Europe faces energy and innovation lag, whereas nations securing reliable power and flexible capital markets are positioned to dominate the coming decades.
- The Economist6 min
How high could the oil price go? | The Economist
Zanny Minton Beddoes, Edward Carr, Mathieu, Henry
Global oil markets face a structural crisis where a 14 million barrel-per-day supply deficit has eroded the "sanguine" expectation of a quick peace deal, creating a price disconnect that literature estimates would require $167 to $460 per barrel to correct. With production gains from non-conflicted regions proving negligible, the market is currently absorbing this shortfall through record-fast inventory drawdowns of 8 to 10 million barrels daily, driven by pre-war shipments and sanctions-induced cargo displacement. As critical buffers for jet fuel and diesel approach minimum levels and logistical constraints lengthen trade routes, the only remaining adjustment mechanisms involve further depletion of commercial stocks or active demand destruction in major consuming regions like Asia.
- The Economist9 min
What we know about the Ukraine peace plan
Zanny Minton Beddoes, Edward Carr, Olly, Ed, Shashank, Zannie, Chris
Emerging from Geneva talks, a draft treaty to partition Ukraine has evolved from a 28-point plan to an 18-point document featuring relaxed military caps and the potential removal of constitutional bans on NATO membership. While special representative Steve Witkoff allegedly advised Russian negotiators on pressure tactics and leaked communications cast suspicion on the security of the process, key disputes remain regarding the status of Donbass, the enforceability of vague US security guarantees, and the exclusion of European military forces. Analysts warn that despite the removal of restrictive weapon bans, the proposed framework relies on unenforceable terms and creates a strategic vacuum for Ukraine's post-war defense.
- The Economist10 min
Were we wrong about Trump's tariffs?
Zanny Minton Beddoes, Edward Carr, Henry, John, Ed
Recent trade policies have established the highest tariff levels in ninety years, creating a significant gap between announced rates and effective collection due to supply chain shifts and business cost absorption. While the U.S. economy experienced its weakest half-year growth since 2012 with rising inflation, political dynamics are shifting toward protectionism across both parties despite bipartisan opposition from key figures like Mitch McConnell. Experts warn that arbitrary policy implementation and entrenched lobbying interests will likely create long-term structural damage and market isolation, even if an immediate recession is avoided.
- The Economist14 min
AI bosses on what keeps them up at night
Demis Hassabis, Dario Amodei, Zanny Minton Beddoes
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis offer diverging timelines for Artificial General Intelligence, with Amodei predicting arrival by 2026–2027 and Hassabis estimating a 50% probability only by 2030. Both leaders warn of severe geopolitical risks from authoritarian dominance and catastrophic safety failures, advocating for an international "CERN for AGI" framework and new global institutions akin to the IAEA to manage the technology. While Amodei emphasizes the danger of a self-improving threshold moment and the potential for lab-tested autonomous agents to cause immediate harm, Hassabis highlights regulatory imbalances and the medium-term potential for AI to solve major scientific challenges like curing diseases.
- Milken Institute31 min
A Conversation with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva | Global Conference 2024
Kristalina Georgieva, Richard Ditizio, Zanny Minton Beddoes
Over 1,000 speakers convened at the 2024 Milken Institute Global Conference under the theme "Shaping a Shared Future" to address critical challenges ranging from supply chain disruptions and cybercrime threats to a historic displacement crisis of 110 million people. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and other key figures analyzed divergent economic trajectories, warning that fiscal deficits and trade fragmentation could trigger a "turbulent" decade unless nations pivot toward productivity-enhancing innovations like green technology and artificial intelligence. The event highlighted both severe US social crises, including gun violence and fentanyl overdoses, and significant global opportunities, such as $500 billion in deployed philanthropic capital and fintech solutions banking millions of unbanked individuals.
- Milken Institute55 min
Part 2: Global Capital Markets | Global Conference 2024
Zanny Minton Beddoes, His Excellency Mohammed El-Kuwaiz, Jane Fraser, Mike Gitlin, Ron O'Hanley, Harvey Schwartz, Mohammed El-Kuwaiz
Senior financial leaders from Citi, State Street, Capital Group, and Carlyle, alongside representatives from the Saudi Capital Market Authority, analyzed the current market's high US valuations, the structural dominance of American capital markets, and the accelerating shift toward private assets. The panel highlighted massive capital mobilization needs for AI infrastructure and energy transitions while warning of systemic risks in private credit and the complexities of regulatory arbitrage. Looking ahead, the experts forecast a five-year return of trillions in cash to markets, the democratization of private equity, and the strategic integration of artificial intelligence into global financial infrastructure.
- The Economist9 min
Malala: what Ukraine’s invasion means for girls’ education
Zanny Minton Beddoes, Malala Yousafzai
Malala Yousafzai addressed global crises in Ukraine, Afghanistan, and other regions, emphasizing that war creates irreversible damage and urging leaders to redefine humanitarian funding to explicitly include education. She highlighted a critical digital gender gap exacerbated by conflict and called for strict international dialogue with the Taliban regarding women's rights, advocating for the release of frozen Afghan reserves to support economic recovery. Ultimately, Yousafzai asserted that quality education is fundamental to peace and stability, demanding that current educational bans in conflict zones be treated as urgent global priorities.
- The Economist14 min
Bill Gates: How to fund the green revolution
Bill Gates, Zanny Minton Beddoes
Bill Gates outlines the necessity of achieving net-zero emissions through massive technological innovation to solve hard-to-abate industrial sectors like steel and aviation, rather than relying solely on behavioral change. He argues that a $2 trillion global investment strategy must prioritize public R&D funding and venture capital to eliminate the green premium, with the United States serving as the essential exemplar and primary buyer to drive down costs. While carbon taxes remain politically elusive, the path forward requires governments and corporations to shift from symbolic actions to substantive financing of real decarbonization technologies alongside historical emission reductions.