When the US government banned a top AI lab from exporting its newest models, the world took notice. Export controls forbidding foreign access to Anthropic’s Mythos and Fable systems locked most of the world out of using this cutting-edge technology. As AI becomes more embedded in our daily lives, countries want to secure access to frontier models. But unless you’re the US or China, your country doesn’t have a top-tier national champion. So what can other countries do to secure sovereign control ...
Jun 26, 2026•40 min
For decades, China accelerated its industrial development through a straightforward bargain: foreign firms invested in China, often through joint ventures, gaining access to the enormous Chinese market, while Chinese companies absorbed western tech and knowhow. Today, that dynamic is changing. China's high-tech industries are now world-leading, and western governments are looking on enviously. So should the US and EU now take a page from China's playbook? Host Soumaya Keynes speaks to John Minni...
Jun 19, 2026•43 min
Just before the UK voted to leave the EU in June 2016, the Treasury (and others) warned the consequences would be catastrophic. GDP would fall and unemployment would rise, Sterling would dip and government borrowing would climb. The shock of Brexit would plunge the UK into a recession. Ten years later, it’s clear some of those predictions were wide of the mark. But Brexit has made the UK’s economy smaller. As would-be Labour leaders Wes Streeting and Andy Burnham openly discuss the case for rejo...
Jun 12, 2026•30 min
Everything looks to be going China’s way: Beijing has a stranglehold on the world’s critical minerals, and its high-tech manufacturing has rapidly become world-leading. Its massive trade surplus is undermining vital industries in the rest of the world. Is this part of a Chinese masterplan for world domination? The truth is a little more nuanced than that. Soumaya Keynes speaks to Jessica Chen Weiss, director of the Institute for America, China, and the Future of Global Affairs at Johns Hopkins S...
Jun 05, 2026•32 min
In a reversal of roles, Nobel prize-winning economist Paul Krugman steps into host Soumaya Keynes shoes to quiz her and co-author Chad Bown about their new book "How to Win a Trade War", and the lessons it contains for surviving a global world order where traditional trade rules are being abandoned. They discuss the fragile domestic politics of a trade war, what the rest of the world can learn from China and reasons to be sort of cheerful about the future of global trade. Further reading No one ...
May 29, 2026•31 min
Africa is traditionally seen as a continent of immense resources, let down by poor governance and excessive violence. Joe Studwell disagrees. In his book, How Africa Works , Studwell flips those assumptions upside down, and argues that low population density, a brutal disease burden and "low-budget" colonialism have hampered the continent’s development. Now, Studwell says, Africa is in a position to follow the blueprint for rapid advancement set by some of Asia’s most impressive economies, such ...
May 22, 2026•29 min
Economists like to think of their discipline as a rational science. But might we make better decisions if we ditched some of our moral aversions? Specifically: would we make better choices if we learned to conquer moral repugnance? Alvin Roth, Nobel laureate, and author of the recent book ‘Moral Economics’, tells host Soumaya Keynes why a free market in kidneys and surrogacy makes economic sense, and what he makes of prediction markets. The inaugural FT Weekend Festival in New York City is fast ...
May 15, 2026•26 min
Between the Iran war, high gas prices, and wobbly jobs numbers, central bankers have plenty to worry about. But some see a light on the horizon: artificial intelligence. AI could lead to abundant production and lower prices, allowing the Fed to lower interest rates, and boost the economy – or so the theory goes. But how will we know if AI is boosting productivity? And what happens if the AI advocates promising an economic transformation are wrong? Soumaya is joined by Austan Goolsbee, head of th...
May 08, 2026•31 min
Typically, a society’s population remains stable if women have about 2.1 children each. By that metric, the word has a big problem. In developed countries the total fertility rate is well below that figure. So what are the economic consequences of that shortfall? Soumaya Keynes speaks to Melissa Kearney, a professor at the University of Notre Dame and the director of the Aspen Economic Strategy Group, which recently put out a series on the topic: Demographic Headwinds: The Economic Consequences ...
May 01, 2026•34 min
A few months ago, the oil market looked pretty serene. But the US-Iran war has upended global supplies and pushed energy security to the top of the policy agenda. Importers have realised they need to diversify their energy sources. What role will renewables have to play? And would a shift towards green energy just mean trading one bottleneck for another? Soumaya Keynes speaks to Daniel Yergin, vice-chair of S&P Global and author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book ‘The Prize: The Epic Quest f...
Apr 23, 2026•28 min
The economist John Kenneth Galbraith once quipped that “there can be few fields of human endeavour in which history counts for so little as in the world of finance.” This show sets out to prove the opposite. Each week, FT columnist Gillian Tett and FT Alphaville editor Robin Wigglesworth dig into the ideas, personalities and institutions that have shaped global finance. From unregulated banking in 19th-century frontier America to institutionalised debt jubilees in ancient Mesopotamia, and from t...
Apr 21, 2026•1 min
China runs an enormous trade surplus, much to the chagrin of some of its trading partners: cheap exports of cars, chemicals and other goods are hampering major economies, especially in Europe. But the Asian nation, the world’s largest exporter, is a net importer of oil. Could higher oil prices help redress global trade imbalances? Soumaya Keynes speaks to Brad Setser, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, to discuss how global trade imbalances have changed, why Beijing’s surplus may...
Apr 17, 2026•34 min
President Donald Trump backed off his threats to wipe out “a whole civilization". Instead, we have a ceasefire – at least for now. But how much damage has the conflict between Iran, the US and Israel already done to the global economy? Where will that damage show up next? And how long will the effects of the Iran shock be felt? Soumaya Keynes speaks to the FT’s economics commentator Chris Giles to discuss the economic consequences of the war and what policymakers should be doing to mitigate them...
Apr 09, 2026•31 min
Warring countries have attacked each other’s economies for hundreds of years. But do the tools of economic warfare – sanctions, tariffs, blockades and embargoes – actually work? Soumaya speaks to Mark Harrison, emeritus professor of economics at Warwick university, and co-editor (with Stephen Broadberry) of Economic Warfare and Sanctions since 1688 , about what centuries of economic conflict can teach us about Iran (and Russia) today. Subscribe to Soumaya's show on Apple , Spotify , Pocket Casts...
Apr 02, 2026•26 min
Iran’s de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz has already rocked global oil markets and stock market indices, spooking everyone from politicians to central bankers. But if Iran wants to make matters worse, it can. Soumaya speaks to Edward Fishman, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and author of ‘Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare,’ to find out what this conflict means for the future of economic coercion. Soumaya and Edward also discuss how geographical c...
Mar 27, 2026•28 min
There’s a trope going around these days: western commentators travel to China, tour its factories and when they return home they say that when it comes to innovation, China has won the global race. But how true is that? Host Soumaya Keynes discusses the successes and shortcomings of China's evolving industrial policy with Kyle Chan, author of the High Capacity newsletter and a fellow in the John L Thornton China Center at the Brookings Institution. Subscribe to Soumaya's show on Apple , Spotify ...
Mar 20, 2026•33 min
Introducing Opus Dei , a new season of Untold from the Financial Times. Host Antonia Cundy uncovers the cultural and political influence of a controversial Catholic organisation in America. Opus Dei exists to help people get closer to God, but some members say they found other agendas – and unexpected harm – entangled in that spiritual mission. The first episode of Untold: Opus Dei launches March 25. Listen on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on A...
Mar 18, 2026•1 min
Banks, consultancies and LinkedIn posts alike are trumpeting the transformative effects of AI, promising an imminent uptick in productivity. Some of these claims are no doubt exaggerated. But there are unmistakable signs that AI is boosting productivity. How is that showing up in economic data? And what does that information tell us about the future of the economy? Soumaya is joined by John Burn-Murdoch and Sarah O’Connor, authors of the FT’s ‘AI Shift’ newsletter, to discuss. You can sign up to...
Mar 12, 2026•27 min
Markets haven’t exactly been calm since the conflict in Iran started. But are they mispricing the risks of a bigger economic blow-up? And how does this conflict compare with what happened after Russia invaded Ukraine? Host Soumaya Keynes discusses these questions with Robin Brooks, author of the Shadow Price Macro substack and senior fellow in the Global Economy and Development program at the Brookings Institution. Subscribe to Soumaya's show on Apple , Spotify , Pocket Casts or wherever you lis...
Mar 05, 2026•27 min
Some believe a deeper pool of common debt would allow the European Union to tackle some of its biggest problems, attracting more investment, reducing the cost of financing, and helping the EU achieve greater strategic autonomy. One such believer: Carlos Cuerpo, Spain’s economy, trade and business minister. In this episode, Soumaya asks him how a common EU safe asset would work, whether money (not politics) is the EU’s issue, and what the bloc could learn from Spain’s economic bounceback. Related...
Feb 27, 2026•31 min
Shortly after the US Supreme Court ruled Donald Trump’s tariffs were illegal, he hit back. The president vowed to impose a 10% levy on US imports through different means. He raised those duties to 15% the following day. These tariffs – imposed under the Trade Act of 1974, rather than the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) – are only temporary. But Trump has a range of tariff tools at his disposal. How will he use them? Which of his trading partners will be worse off from these n...
Feb 23, 2026•21 min
When Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein released their book ‘Nudge’ in 2008, it caught the public imagination. ‘Nudge theory’ – the idea that people could be encouraged to make better choices through small, subtle interventions – was innovative, and exciting. A decade and a half later, a whole lot of nudging seems to have come to a whole lot of nothing. Why wasn’t ‘nudge theory’ more help in tackling climate change, or helping people enroll in pensions? And, even if it hasn’t saved the world, does...
Feb 20, 2026•30 min
China’s export powerhouse is feeding global demand for cheaper electronics, cars, clothing, and plenty more besides. But the supercharged competition driving that trend is causing problems within China itself, including deflation and thin or negative profit margins. China’s government has recognised the problem, but what is it actually doing in response – and how should the country’s trading partners react? Soumaya speaks to Yanmei Xie, senior associate fellow at the Mercator Institute for China...
Feb 13, 2026•30 min
If you want to understand food – and eat better – economics is a good place to start. How do immigration patterns shape a country’s cuisine? How do labour laws make our working lunches worse? And why do strip malls serve such good grub? To find out, Soumaya Keynes talks to Tyler Cowen, economics professor at George Mason University and chair of the Mercatus Center think-tank. Cowen has written about food for more than two decades, including in his 2012 book An Economist Gets Lunch. Read Soumaya’...
Feb 06, 2026•33 min
The EU-India trade deal was partly a geopolitical statement, directed towards Trump. But what’s actually in it? What were the toughest bits to agree, who gave up concessions, and what will the deal mean for the economies of India and the EU? Soumaya Keynes is back to chat to Nicolas Köhler-Suzuki, adviser for trade and economic security, Jacques Delors Institute, and Ajay Srivastava, founder of the Global Trade Research Initiative in Delhi, and a former trade negotiator. Subscribe to Soumaya's s...
Jan 30, 2026•28 min
Are the headline growth figures really telling us the full story about the global economy? Gita Gopinath, a former deputy managing director at the IMF and a professor of economics at Harvard University, discusses this question with Martin Wolf, the FT’s chief economics commentator. They talk about how AI investments are offsetting the economic drag from tariffs, the risk of another financial crisis and whether the dollar can remain the world’s dominant currency. Subscribe to Soumaya's show on Ap...
Jan 23, 2026•25 min
It wasn’t the Trump administration’s first attack on the Federal Reserve – but it was perhaps the most shocking. The Department of Justice’s criminal investigation into Jay Powell – nominally over his testimony about the refurbishment of Fed buildings – has ramped up pressure on the Fed chair, whom Donald Trump has frequently criticised over the central bank’s interest rate stance. Will Trump succeed in imposing his will on the Fed, and how might the world’s most important financial institution ...
Jan 14, 2026•35 min
Affordability is set to be a key issue in US politics ahead of the country’s midterm elections. And though American politicians often express their support for the country’s middle class, life has become progressively more difficult for that group, Mechele Dickerson argues. The University of Texas law professor explains how sluggish wage growth, housing policy and the growth of personal debt have made it harder to secure the markers of middle class life. Claire Jones is the FT’s US economics edi...
Jan 09, 2026•32 min
Some of the world’s biggest financial institutions are reeling after the collapse of a little-known car parts supplier: First Brands Group. The company filed for bankruptcy last month, and since then, FT reporters have shone a spotlight on billions of dollars of hidden debt and a secretive founder whose borrowing habits left creditors exposed. The FT’s corporate finance editor Robert Smith and banking editor Ortenca Aliaj walk through their investigation and explain how this event has raised que...
Jan 02, 2026•27 min
The European Commission must urgently dismantle internal trade barriers that are stifling innovation, productivity and investment across the EU. So says Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank, in a conversation with the FT’s chief economics commentator, Martin Wolf, as she calls for immediate structural reforms and explains why this is the moment to do it. This interview was recorded on December 10 as part of the FT’s The Global Boardroom conference. Subscribe and listen to th...
Dec 24, 2025•25 min
