Episode description

Belgian prosecutors who were investigating allegations that Qatar tried to influence EU policy by bribing European parliament officials, have charged four people with money laundering, corruption and participating in a criminal organisation.

Emily Tamkin in Washington DC, and Ido Vock in Berlin are joined by the New Statesman's business editor Will Dunn to discuss the investigation which comes as the Gulf country hosts the World Cup, and how "sportswashing" benefits Qatar and the West.

Next, Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the collapsed cryptocurrency exchange FTX, has been arrested in the Bahamas after prosecutors in the United States filed criminal charges. The team discuss why the company initially folded and the founder’s dramatic fall from grace, as well as wider the consequences for the crypto industry.

Then, in You Ask Us a question from, not a listener, but ChatGPT: How does racism manifest in AI, and what are the potential consequences for society if left unaddressed.

If you have a question for You Ask Us, go to newstatesman.com/youaskus

Podcast listeners can subscribe to the New Statesman for just £1 a week for 12 weeks using our special offer: visit newstatesman.com/podcastoffer to learn more 

Read more:

Will Dunn on the amateur sleuths who helped to bring down Sam Bankman-Fried

Will Dunn writes Sam Bankman-Fried exposes the moral conceit of effective altruism

Jonathan Liew writes the Qatar World Cup is a moral disaster – is it braver to step away, or step inside.

Ido Vock on why ChatGPT proves that AI still has a racism problem.

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