Latest Interviews
Showing 31–45 of 52 transcripts.
Clear all filters- 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.
- The Economist7 min
The World Bank chief on Donald Trump
Donald Trump, Ajay Banga, Zanny Minton Beddoes, RJ Banga
The event analyzes the structural shift in global trade toward nearshoring and bilateral deals driven by the Trump administration's tariff policies while detailing the World Bank's strategic pivot to prioritize climate resilience and local consumption in the Global South. To bridge the funding gap for emerging markets, the institution has raised its climate financing target to 45% by 2025 and actively mobilizes private capital through expanded political risk guarantees and local currency swaps. Despite these efforts, the discussion concludes that current investment levels remain insufficient and that the Bank maintains a cautious stance on nuclear energy, waiting for Small Modular Reactors to achieve commercial viability before providing direct support.
- The Economist1h 4m
The Weekend Intelligence: Gaza, after the dust settles (republished)
Zanny Minton Beddoes, Greg Karlstrom, Dana Struhl, Mohamed Mustafa, Shahabil al-Zayim, Moussa Abou-Mazouk, Bassem Naeem, Nick Pelham, Leah, Yael, Yoaz Hendel, Simcha Rothman, Yair Golan, Naftali Bennett, Anwar al-Jundi Abu Subi, Tarnim, Matthew Hollingworth, Ali Shaf
Nine months into the conflict, Gaza faces near-total destruction and a humanitarian catastrophe as competing visions for post-war governance emerge, with the US and Palestinian Authority advocating for a revitalized PA while Israeli factions range from rejecting a political horizon to proposing indefinite military control. Security vacuums are already being filled by armed criminal gangs and Hamas, creating a lawless environment that threatens to collapse into permanent instability without a credible international or Israeli security plan. Experts warn that the absence of political consensus, combined with the logistical failure of aid delivery and the scale of rubble requiring forty million tons of clearance, renders a successful transition vanishingly unlikely.
- 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 Economist16 min
Wall Street's king, Jamie Dimon, on the US presidency
Jamie Dimon, Zanny Minton Beddoes
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon characterizes the current geopolitical landscape as the most dangerous since World War II, citing the Ukraine conflict and complex Sino-U.S. tensions as primary drivers of global instability. He argues that the United States must overcome domestic stagnation by addressing policy failures in immigration and healthcare while pursuing "tough and mature" economic negotiations with China to avoid strategic isolation. Although Dimon rejects a presidential run at age 67, he advocates for a pragmatic balance between national security and free enterprise to restore American competitiveness and social cohesion.
- The Economist9 min
G20: The Economist interviews Indonesia’s president
Zanny Minton Beddoes, Joko Widodo
President Joko Widodo leverages the G20 summit to advocate for dialogue over sanctions regarding the Ukraine conflict and US-China tensions, aiming to prevent escalation in the Indo-Pacific region. Concurrently, Indonesia is capitalizing on its strategic nickel dominance to negotiate a Tesla manufacturing partnership that will advance its domestic electric vehicle ecosystem. As he approaches his 2024 departure, Widodo is implementing a meritocratic shift to transition the nation from developing to developed status before returning to environmental conservation in Solo.
- The Economist7 min
What is the future of the British monarchy?
Zanny Minton Beddoes, Catherine Nixey
Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles III assumes the throne amid a rapid surge in domestic approval ratings and significant global concern regarding the future cohesion of the Commonwealth. The monarch faces the immediate challenge of overcoming a legacy of personal controversies and establishing a distinct constitutional identity while attempting to distance himself from the monumental stature of his mother. Despite widespread speculation about slimming down the royal family, the institution is expected to endure as the transition solidifies Britain's status as a mid-sized nation with a shortened reign ahead.
- The Economist16 min
War in Ukraine: The Economist interviews Tony Blair
Tony Blair, Zanny Minton Beddoes
Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair characterized Vladimir Putin as a detached autocrat who has dismantled Russian democracy to build personal wealth while predicting his eventual downfall and Ukraine's future integration into the European Union. Blair critiqued Western strategic retreat in Africa and the Middle East, arguing that bureaucratic inefficiency has allowed China and Russia to expand their influence despite local preferences for Western ties. He urged Europe to accept short-term economic sacrifices to supply Ukraine with offensive weaponry and warned that the 21st century's defining geopolitical challenge lies in managing the United States' complex relationship with China without pushing Beijing into an alignment with Moscow.
- The Economist24 min
War in Ukraine: The Economist interviews President Zelensky
Zelensky, Zanny Minton Beddoes
Economist editor-in-chief Jeremy Paxman traveled to Kyiv to interview President Volodymyr Zelensky regarding the war's trajectory, victory conditions, and critical gaps in Western military support. Zelensky asserts that Ukraine will fight until the last city while criticizing insufficient Western sanctions and inconsistent aid from Germany and the United States compared to the consistent backing of the United Kingdom. The President further warns of potential chemical weapon deployments by Russia and argues that a post-war resolution requires a decisive victory rather than compromises that threaten Ukraine's sovereignty.
- 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.
- Milken Institute57 min
The Future of Capitalism
Zanny Minton Beddoes, Rebecca Henderson, David Hunt, Ronald O'Hanley, Raghuram Rajan, Zadie Minton-Bedders
A panel of four prominent economists and business leaders critically reexamines the legacy of Milton Friedman's shareholder primacy model, diagnosing deepening market failures such as unpriced externalities, rising inequality, and eroded public trust. The group reached a consensus that pricing carbon and reforming antitrust regulations are essential prerequisites for sustainable growth, while debating the precise boundaries between corporate social provision and government responsibility. Ultimately, the discussion identified climate change, strengthening democracy, and rebuilding institutional resilience as the defining challenges for the future of capitalism.
- The Economist8 min
Covid-19: Bill Gates predicts the end of the pandemic
Bill Gates, Zanny Minton Beddoes
Bill Gates warns that the pandemic's global economic and health toll has surpassed earlier projections, prompting the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to pivot its resources toward financing the manufacturing and distribution of six promising vaccine candidates. While Phase III trials project 80% to 90% efficacy by September, Gates emphasizes that securing $10 billion to $12 billion is critical to overcoming current funding gaps and ensuring low-cost access for developing nations without which global herd immunity remains unattainable. He further cautions that achieving the estimated 30% to 60% vaccination coverage needed to halt transmission by late 2021 depends heavily on sustained US leadership, as the decline in multilateral cooperation and rising debt risks in emerging markets threaten to exacerbate existing inequalities and economic instability.
- The Economist10 min
Covid-19: what will happen to the global economy?
Zanny Minton Beddoes, Edward Carr
The pandemic has triggered the deepest global recession since the 1930s, establishing a permanent "90 economy" where behavioral shifts rather than lockdown mandates drive lasting contraction in sectors like tourism and manufacturing. While the United States has retreated from global coordination, China is expanding its digital financial influence, though a full displacement of the US dollar remains a prolonged process due to historical inertia. Concurrently, developing nations face acute vulnerability from debt burdens and export shocks, while youth unemployment risks causing long-term labor market scarring that necessitates diversifying supply chains rather than abandoning globalization.