Creating deadly human viruses will get easier with AI | The Economist

2026-04-12

Demis Hassabis, Google DeepMind’s CEO, warns there’s a “non-zero chance” things go badly wrong with AI. On the latest episode of Inside Tech, he explains why he sees AI as a tool, not a deity—and why the race to AGI demands caution, not just speed.

2026-04-10

Donald Trump’s supporters thought the risks of his presidency were peripheral. Now, those risks are front and centre.

Charlotte Howard, our New York bureau chief, and Greg Carlstrom, our Middle East correspondent, discuss how the president’s rhetoric is unsettling allies at home and abroad.

2026-02-27

Donald Trump has been amassing American forces across the Middle East, as he seeks to pressure Iran to limit its nuclear programme. The president is apparently “curious” as to why Tehran has not capitulated.

But where are his troops? And what are the forces capable of?

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2026-02-25

Serbia’s student-led movement has been protesting against the country’s president for 15 months—and Aleksandar Vucic’s power is starting to show cracks. But is he really vulnerable? Our Balkans correspondent, Tim Judah, travelled to Serbia to find out.

2026-02-18

Want to play chess like a grandmaster? Jennifer Shahade, Woman chess grandmaster and The Economist’s Alok Jha, host of the Babbage podcast, go head to head and discuss how chess sharpens human decision-making, and why AI and computers haven’t killed off the game.

00:00 – What does chess teach us about thinking?
01:04 – What makes the opening so psychological?
04:43 – How do System 1 and System 2 thinking show up in chess?
08:10 – Why is the middle game so complex?
12:44 – How have Computers and AI changed chess?

Link to the full episode: https://econ.st/4cBlBe3
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2026-01-09

Has Trump just pulled off the most brazen oil heist in history? Vijay Vaitheeswaran, The Economist’s Global Energy and Climate Innovation Editor talks to Ethan Wu and Mike Bird, co-hosts of The Money Talks podcast, about why America might never benefit from Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.

00:00 – Why Venezuela’s vast oil reserves are so difficult to use
02:29 – Heavy vs light crude: why Venezuelan oil is different
04:38 – Why big oil won’t invest in Venezuela again
06:23 – What oil prices would make Venezuela viable
08:41 – Why this oil strategy feels outdated today

Listen to the full episode: https://econ.st/4sxjAVK
How the Pentagon snatched Nicolás Maduro: https://econ.st/4hv0wlY
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2026-01-07

Is the future of warfare outpacing Europe’s defences? Shashank Joshi, our defence editor, speaks with Torsten Reil, the co-founder of Helsing, about autonomous warfare, whether Europe is prepared for conflict — and whether it is ethical to send humans into modern battle.

Chapters
00:00 – European defence mindset
03:00 – How prepared is Europe for war?
04:45 – Is it ethical to send humans into modern battle?

Watch the full show: https://econ.st/4jwMEZE

Defence tech is blowing up Silicon Valleys beliefs: https://econ.st/3Yx6kCS

Europe’s generals are warning people to prepare for war: https://econ.st/4r0hXyz

David Gioe and Doug Chalmers ask if Europe could take on Russia without American help: https://econ.st/3LBP8ct

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2025-12-31

From Donald Trump’s inauguration to the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, 2025 has been one of the more tumultuous years in recent memory. Power has shifted, elections have swept new leaders to power and technology has advanced at a dizzying pace.