Economist Podcasts

4.3 (92)
NEWS
UPDATED DAILY

Every weekday our global network of correspondents makes sense of the stories beneath the headlines. We bring you surprising trends and tales from around the world, current affairs, business and finance — as well as science and technology. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TRAILER

Trailer: Scam Inc

A sophisticated, predatory, multi-billion dollar industry is emerging from the shadows. It already rivals the size of the illicit drug trade. And it’s about to get bigger and much more powerful. The Economist’s Sue-Lin Wong follows a trail that starts with the collapse of a bank in rural Kansas to uncover a global, underground scam economy built around human trafficking, corruption and money laundering. Can it be stopped? Coming soon. To listen to the full series subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4 min
9 HR AGO

As a next resort: Trump’s vision for Gaza

The details President Donald Trump laid out for American ownership and redevelopment of the Gaza Strip took everyone by surprise—not least Israel’s prime minister. As improbable as it all is, though, it may play into Binyamin Netanyahu’s hands. As a second-world-war-era dispute reignites between Ukraine and Poland, Russia is the beneficiary (10:00). And the growing appetite for eye-wateringly pricey baby products (19:10). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

25 min
20 HR AGO • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

Yann LeCun: the godfather of machine learning is building “a new revolution in AI”

The launch of R1, an AI model by the Chinese startup DeepSeek, recently sent shockwaves through the technology world. R1 is a “reasoning” model—the most cutting-edge type of large language model (LLM)—and it performs about as well as the best-in-class Western models but for a fraction of the training cost. Like other LLMs, though, it still lacks many of the skills and types of intelligence that human brains achieve. For one, “reasoning” models still have a very limited understanding of the physical world in which they exist. Our guest today wants to get beyond these hurdles. Yann LeCun, chief AI scientist at Meta and a professor at New York University, thinks LLMs are not the answer if we want truly useful personal assistants, humanoid robots and driverless cars in the future. For machine intelligence to get more interactive with the real world, he is fundamentally rethinking how AI models are built and trained. This week, along with six other pioneers of machine learning, Professor LeCun was awarded the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering. He joins Alok Jha, The Economist’s science and technology editor. For more on this topic, check out our series on the science that built the AI revolution, as well as our episodes on artificial general intelligence. Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

34 min
1 DAY AGO

Rebel with a new cause: meeting Syria’s president

From media-studies dropout to international jihadist to Syria’s ruler, Ahmed al-Sharaa has an unlikely résumé. He speaks with our editor-in-chief, sharing hopeful-sounding hints of his vision—but precious little detail. Japan’s economy has been hobbled by low inflation for years; is that now in the past (14.05)? And the lucrative media gigs of Britain’s lawmakers (21.30). Special thanks to Mamoon Alhidayat, our interpreter in Syria. Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

29 min
1 DAY AGO • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

Influence operations: how China turns members of its diaspora into spies

As the superpower rivalry between China and America deepens, Chinese espionage efforts in America are changing. The Communist Party is recruiting members of the diaspora for surveillance, information-gathering and influence operations. And while coercion is not uncommon, some Chinese Americans are happy to help. Alice Su, The Economist’s senior China correspondent, and James Miles, our China writer-at-large, explore how China co-opts members of its diaspora to serve the Communist Party's interests, and ask what liberal democracies do about it. Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

38 min
TRAILER

Trailer: Scam Inc

A sophisticated, predatory, multi-billion dollar industry is emerging from the shadows. It already rivals the size of the illicit drug trade. And it’s about to get bigger and much more powerful. The Economist’s Sue-Lin Wong follows a trail that starts with the collapse of a bank in rural Kansas to uncover a global, underground scam economy built around human trafficking, corruption and money laundering. Can it be stopped? Coming soon. To listen to the full series subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4 min
2 DAYS AGO

Thy neighbours, beggared: Trump’s opening tariffs

President Donald Trump followed through on his tariff threats, starting with Canada, Mexico and China. We look at the first skirmishes in what promises to be a painful trade war (10:30). A Concorde-style supersonic passenger jet could soon be flying again, if one company gets its way. And why standing ovations are no longer a rare sight (16:40). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

22 min
4 DAYS AGO

Below Delhi, the search for India's mythical past

The Mahabharata is one of India’s two great Hindu epics. It is thousands of years old and thousands of pages long. Over the past 75 years archaeologists in India have been searching for evidence that this mythological story might be based on true events. The Economist’s Leo Mirani travels to Delhi to unearth the story behind the story, and asks who gets to control the past? Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Music by Blue dot Sessions and Epidemic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

43 min

See All (2.2K)

Get a daily burst of illumination from The Economist’s worldwide network of correspondents. Our reporters dig past the headlines to get to the stories beneath—and to stories that aren’t making headlines, but should be. A unique perspective on the issues and events shaping your world. Sign up for Economist Podcasts+ at http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about Economist Podcasts+, including how to get access, please visit our FAQs page at https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts

4.8 (35)

DAILY NEWS
The World in Brief tells you what’s on the global agenda in the coming day, what to look out for in business, finance and politics and, most importantly, what to make of it. Economist Podcasts+ subscribers and digital subscribers to The Economist should log in at economist.com/audio/podcasts/the-world-in-brief for access to the full World in Brief. Sign up for Economist Podcasts+ here: www.economist.com/podcastsplus-worldinbrief. For more information about Economist Podcasts+, including how to get access, please visit our FAQs page here https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts.

4.0 (23)

DAILY NEWS
Take a seat at the table and learn about the biggest stories in financial markets, the economy and business. Each week our editors and correspondents explore how economics influences the world we live in and share their insights across a range of topics. From inflation and recession risk to all things crypto and even the commercial success of K-pop, we have you covered. Published every Thursday. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about Economist Podcasts+, including how to get access, please visit our FAQs page at https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts.

4.7 (20)

BUSINESS NEWS
It might start with a lightbulb moment or a sudden flash of insight—but having an idea and making a success of it are very different things. It’s the gap between invention and innovation. In these six episodes, you’ll find out about the people and stories behind game-changing ideas and technology. Sign up for Economist Podcasts+ at www.economist.com/podcastsplus If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription.

0.0 (0)

TECHNOLOGY
Xi Jinping is the most powerful person in the world. But the real story of China's leader remains a mystery. In this eight-part series Sue-Lin Wong finds out how he rose to the top, and what it means for China—and the rest of the world—now that he has ripped up the rule book to stay in power, perhaps for the rest of his life. Sign up for Economist Podcasts+ at www.economist.com/podcastsplus If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription.

4.8 (18)

NEWS
Checks and Balance unlocks American politics by taking a big theme each week and digging into the data, the ideas, and the history shaping the country. Join John Prideaux, Charlotte Howard, Idrees Kahloon and Jon Fasman as they talk to politicians, pollsters, academics and people across the country about the great experiment of American democracy. Published every Friday. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about Economist Podcasts+, including how to get access, please visit our FAQs page here https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts.

5.0 (7)

POLITICS

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4.3

out of 5

92 Ratings

The economist

15/11/2017

Dozer96

The best radio for economy
interview with anna wintour

21/07/2019

AG#TC

disappointed with the replies on anna wintour ‘s interview! it’s an interview with no back bone. so “white bread”, so non exciting. like being in a coma!
Intelligente

14/10/2015

babylonfalling

Anche quando non sono d'accordo con l'opinione espressa, non manca mai una spiegazione intelligente, logica, e ben pensata e ragionata.
Economics

24/04/2011

Undergraduate

Usefull to learn English and to be informed on what's going on in the world!!

Every weekday our global network of correspondents makes sense of the stories beneath the headlines. We bring you surprising trends and tales from around the world, current affairs, business and finance — as well as science and technology. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Channel

The Economist
Creator

The Economist
Years Active

2006 - 2025
Episodes

2.2K
Rating

Clean
Show Website

Economist Podcasts
Provider

The Economist Newspaper Limited has identified itself as a trader for this podcast and confirmed that this product or service complies with European Union law. Address The Adelphi 1-11 John Adam Street London WC2N 6HT United Kingdom Phone Number +44 2075768000 Email podcasts@economist.com