Where Great Minds Meet

Intelligence Squared

Channel · 17 Shows

Society & Culture

Society & Culture

Updated twice weekly
Society & Culture

Society & Culture

Updated weekly
Business

Business

Updated 21/07/2022
History

History

Updated 08/06/2022
Technology

Technology

Weekly series
Business

Business

Updated weekly
History

History

Daily series

1 day ago

China and Africa: The Hidden History of a Global Power Shift, with Paul Kenyon

China’s relationship with Africa is often presented as a recent contest for minerals and influence. However, journalist Paul Kenyon argues that the relationship rests on centuries of history, with alliances forged in the struggle against Western colonialism. He charts how China has managed, since the 1950s, to control much of Africa's natural resources, consumers, workforce and political institutions. In this episode, Margherita Volpato speaks to Paul Kenyon. In his latest book, China’s African Empire: The Country That Captured a Continent, he explores the new economic and political hierarchies that shape our modern world. Paul Kenyon is a BAFTA award-winning journalist who has worked for almost twenty years across BBC News and Current Affairs. He is the author of numerous books including Dictatorland and China’s African Empire: The Country that Captured a Continent. Margherita Volpato is Senior Producer at Intelligence Squared. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
3 days ago

Does The World Still Need America? with Shadi Hamid

What would a world without American leadership look like? Shadi Hamid joins Intelligence Squared co-host Conor Boyle to discuss his book The Case for American Power and why he changed his mind about America’s role in the world. They explore the legacy of the Iraq War, the contradictions of American foreign policy and whether the United States remains essential to a more peaceful and democratic world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
6 days ago

The Truth About Trump's Venezuela Oil Deal, with Anne Applebaum

Who stands to benefit from Donald Trump’s Venezuela oil deal? Anne Applebaum joins Intelligence Squared co-host Conor Boyle to discuss her investigation for The Atlantic into Trump’s dealings in Venezuela since the removal of Nicolás Maduro in January 2026. They explore the opaque agreements reshaping the country’s oil industry, Washington’s ties to the surviving regime and whether promises of democratic change are giving way to the pursuit of profit. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
4 Nov

What Do the Dead Internet Theory and Russian Intelligence Operations Have in Common? With Carl Miller

The dead internet theory began as an obscure online conspiracy. Its proponents claimed the internet had been overrun by bots and automated content. In 2021, much of it sounded paranoid. Today, parts of the theory are beginning to look uncomfortably plausible. According to Cloudflare, machines now generate more web traffic than people, while AI-generated music, images and writing are flooding online platforms. Some material is even designed not for human readers, but for other bots and AI systems that retrieve and cite it. In this episode, Mia Sorenti speaks with researcher Carl Miller about an internet increasingly shaped by machines talking to machines. Drawing on new research from Demos, Carl sheds light on findings that suggest Russian propagandists are already manipulating the information served up by LLMs - and how we can fight back in a new age of information warfare. Carl Miller is a Demos Fellow and co-founder of the Centre for the Analysis of Social Media. He is co-author of the Demos report GEO for Geopolitics. Mia Sorenti is Senior Producer at Intelligence Squared. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
4 days ago

Shakespeare vs Milton: The Kings of English Literature Debate [Archive]

Nearly four centuries after his death, no writer has come close to matching Shakespeare’s understanding of the world – or his gift for dramatic poetry. It’s not just kings and queens that he captured so uniquely in his transcendent verse. Shakespeare analysed the human condition, not just for Elizabethan England, but throughout the world and for eternity. Britain may not have matched the Continent for music or art but when it comes to literature, Shakespeare sees off all international rivals, whether it’s in the spheres of comedy, tragedy or the sonnet. Even today you and I quote Shakespeare without knowing it: if you act more in sorrow than in anger, if you vanish into thin air or have ever been tongue-tied, hoodwinked or slept not one wink, you’re speaking the Bard’s English. Milton, say his fans, works on an altogether different, higher plane. In Paradise Lost – the best poem ever written in English – Milton moved beyond the literary to address political, philosophical and religious questions in a way that still resounds strongly today. In his complex, intellectual poetry he drilled down deep into the eternal truths and sought to embody new scientific discovery in his work. His engagement with the issues of the day – with the nature of knowledge, slavery, free will, love and creation – was unparalleled. Despite complete blindness in middle age, he was the English republic’s best known, most fervent apologist, and a key civil servant for Oliver Cromwell. In his other works, notably in Areopagitica, his attack on censorship, he showed himself as much a master of prose as poetry. He defines not only his age, but our own. To help you decide who should be crowned king of English letters we brought together advocates to make the case for each writer, and they called on a cast of leading actors to illustrate their arguments with readings from the works. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2 Nov

What Happens If Billionaires Control the Tools of War? With Sharon Weinberger

For decades, Silicon Valley liked to tell a story about itself: brilliant outsiders, working beyond government, moving faster than institutions ever could. But that story leaves something rather important out. The American military and intelligence agencies helped to finance the technologies, companies and ambitions that made the Valley powerful. With governments increasingly relying on privately owned satellites, software, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, we’re going to explore why the people who control those systems are not simply contractors. They have fortunes, political commitments and power of their own. So who is serving whom? In this episode, Margherita Volpato speaks to Sharon Weinberger. In her new book is Valley of Death: How Big Tech Is Fueling the Future of War, she outlines why governments are increasingly reliant on privately owned satellites, software, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, and what it means for this level of control to be in the hands of private contractors. Together, they will explore: who is serving whom? Sharon Weinbeger has reported on national security, science and technology for more than 25 years. She is editor-in-chief of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists and was previously national security editor at The Wall Street Journal. Her new book is Valley of Death: How Big Tech Is Fueling the Future of War. Margherita Volpato is Senior Producer at Intelligence Squared. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
1 Nov

Is Politics Beyond Satire? Live with Armando Iannucci, Jan Ravens and Jess Phillips [Archive]

Has satire lost its power in this new world of fake news and ‘alternative facts’ - when our leaders lie so blatantly and frequently, and still manage to get away with it? Or is humour a more important tool than ever to hold those in power to account? We were joined by celebrated comedy writer and producer Armando Iannucci, Labour MP Jess Phillips, and satirist and impressionist Jan Ravens to unpack these questions live on stage at the Union chapel in London. The event was chaired by journalist, writer and broadcaster Samira Ahmed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
8 Mar

Fiona Hill: The World in 2026 (Part One)

Fiona Hill is one of the most authoritative voices on the forces reshaping global politics today. Born in County Durham, from 2017 to 2019 she was a senior adviser on European and Russian Affairs at the White House and in October 2019 she was a key witness in President Trump’s first impeachment inquiry. In 2024 and 2025 she co-led the British Government’s Strategic Defence Review, which sets out how the UK should scale up its response to risks from an emboldened Russia and a less predictable United States. Hill cautions that we are not in a second Cold War, but in a more volatile era of asymmetric threats. She warns that Trump’s engagement with autocratic leaders such as Putin and Xi is strengthening authoritarian regimes and eroding long‑standing alliances, and highlights sabotage and disinformation – the kind of threats seen in recent incidents such as the Russian spy‑ship Yantar encroaching on UK waters and the rail explosion in Poland. Hill came to the Intelligence Squared stage in February 2026 where, in conversation with journalist Jon Sopel, she set out the practical steps she believes the West must take to bolster its resilience and safeguard security and stability. --- This is the first instalment of a two-part episode. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events ... Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
9 Mar

Fiona Hill: The World in 2026 (Part Two)

Fiona Hill is one of the most authoritative voices on the forces reshaping global politics today. Born in County Durham, from 2017 to 2019 she was a senior adviser on European and Russian Affairs at the White House and in October 2019 she was a key witness in President Trump’s first impeachment inquiry. In 2024 and 2025 she co-led the British Government’s Strategic Defence Review, which sets out how the UK should scale up its response to risks from an emboldened Russia and a less predictable United States. Hill cautions that we are not in a second Cold War, but in a more volatile era of asymmetric threats. She warns that Trump’s engagement with autocratic leaders such as Putin and Xi is strengthening authoritarian regimes and eroding long‑standing alliances, and highlights sabotage and disinformation – the kind of threats seen in recent incidents such as the Russian spy‑ship Yantar encroaching on UK waters and the rail explosion in Poland. Hill came to the Intelligence Squared stage in February 2026 where, in conversation with journalist Jon Sopel, she set out the practical steps she believes the West must take to bolster its resilience and safeguard security and stability. --- If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events ... Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
15 Sept

Luke Harding and Alastair Campbell: Trump, Putin and the New Age of Conquest (Part Two)

The post-war international order is under increasing strain. The principle that borders cannot be changed by force is being challenged –not only by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but by Donald Trump’s threats to seize Greenland, his undermining of longstanding alliances and his willingness to use military force abroad.In his new book, Betrayal, Guardian foreign correspondent Luke Harding argues that today’s world resembles not a new Cold War, defined by ideological rivalry, but a return to ‘Great Power’ politics, driven by military strength and national self-interest.In September 2026, Harding joined former Downing Street Director of Communications Alastair Campbell to examine how Trump and Putin are reshaping global politics. Drawing on Harding’s reporting from Ukraine and conversations with leaders including Volodymyr Zelensky, they explored how an era defined by liberal democracy, international cooperation and the rule of law is giving way to one increasingly defined by power, coercion and nationalism.Join two of the UK’s leading voices on politics and foreign affairs for an essential conversation on the forces reshaping the world –and what they mean for the future of democracy, security and the international order. --- If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events ... Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ideas shape the world. Intelligence Squared brings you the conversations that explain them.In every episode, we bring together leading thinkers, writers, scientists, policymakers and entrepreneurs, to challenge assumptions, test ideas and debate the questions shaping our future. If you want to think more clearly about the world and where it's heading, you're in the right place. If you’d like to support our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations, as well as ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content, early access and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today. Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

5.0 (2)

·

Society & Culture
VS is a light-hearted podcast about the little debates that are always a big deal to someone. Arsenal VS Spurs. McDonald’s VS KFC. Twitter VS TikTok. 80s VS 90s. And many more. Our host Coco Khan invites experts and fans to go head-to-head on the timeless debates that form the lifeblood of friendships. Who wins? You decide with our weekly vote. VS is an Intelligence Squared production. Tune in to new episodes every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

0.0 (0)

·

Society & Culture
Introducing 'Black History and Culture,' an Intelligence Squared collection. In this carefully curated selection we revisit some of our favourite live events and podcasts from the past 20 years, journeying through the rich and diverse tapestry of Black history and culture.We showcase great creators and thinkers, including the co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement, Alicia Garza; poet and activist, Benjamin Zephaniah; and playwright, novelist, critic and broadcaster, Bonnie Greer. We also delve into debates such as ‘Should the West Pay Reparations For Slavery?’ and ‘Hip-Hop vs Shakespeare.’ Join us as we examine the past, engage with the present, and ignite conversations that shape our future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

0.0 (0)

·

History
When did you first hear of GPT, Claude, DALL-E or Bard? Feels like a while ago, right? In barely over a year AI has penetrated our conversations, our places of work and it now dominates the culture. It also threatens to make some of those pillars of society redundant in years to come. Join researcher and author Carl Miller for POWER TRIP to see where that journey is leading us – and whether anyone can stop the ride. The future of humanity will be impacted by technology in ways we may never have predicted. Across five episodes, POWER TRIP charts the past, present and future of AI, exploring the strangest and most startling ideas of the digital age.Want the future right now? Become a Member of Intelligence Squared to get all the full length episodes of POWER TRIP and much much more. Just visit intelligencesquared.com or click the Try Free button on Apple. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

0.0 (0)

·

Technology
Breaking down the economic ideas we’ve all heard of but may not fully understand in under 15 minutes. Host Nicola Walton is joined by an economics expert each week to take us through the terminology, statistics and stories of how economic forces shape our world and lives. Brought to you by Intelligence Squared. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

0.0 (0)

·

Business
Why did we go to war in Iraq? What went wrong? And how has this war shaped the region and the world we live in today? These are just some of the questions that we explore in ‘Iraq: Legacy of War’, a limited podcast series brought to you by Intelligence Squared to mark twenty years since the US-led invasion in 2003. Through interviews with policy-makers, military personnel, journalists, academics and Iraqi citizens, we reflect on the legacy of one of the most significant military interventions in modern history Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

0.0 (0)

·

History

Intelligence Squared podcast is the home of lively debate and deep-dive discussion. To listen ad-free, enjoy exclusive content and early access to new episodes, hit subscribe for a 7-day free trial of IQ2 Extra. Our bonus content includes Bright Sparks: quickfire Q&As bringing you closer to some of the brightest minds on the planet. First up is Nobel Prize-winning psychologist, Daniel Kahneman, author of Thinking, Fast and Slow. Early access brings you our Friday shows 48hrs in advance and you can enjoy all of our upcoming listens ad-free. We take you to the heart of the issues that matter, in the company of the world’s sharpest thinkers and most exciting orators. Join the debate, live and online, at www.intelligencesquared.com and download our podcasts every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

Website

Contact Intelligence Squared

Provider

Intelligence Squared

Get exclusive episodes, ad-free listening and more

China and Africa: The Hidden History of a Global Power Shift, with Paul Kenyon

Does The World Still Need America? with Shadi Hamid

The Truth About Trump's Venezuela Oil Deal, with Anne Applebaum

What Do the Dead Internet Theory and Russian Intelligence Operations Have in Common? With Carl Miller

Shakespeare vs Milton: The Kings of English Literature Debate [Archive]

What Happens If Billionaires Control the Tools of War? With Sharon Weinberger

Is Politics Beyond Satire? Live with Armando Iannucci, Jan Ravens and Jess Phillips [Archive]

Fiona Hill: The World in 2026 (Part One)

Fiona Hill: The World in 2026 (Part Two)

Luke Harding and Alastair Campbell: Trump, Putin and the New Age of Conquest (Part Two)

Get exclusive episodes, ad-free listening and more

John Gray and David Runciman on Finding Meaning in a Post-Liberal World

Mariana Mazzucato and Stella Creasy on Making and Taking in the Global Economy, PART 1

Eighty Is The New Thirty: A Guide To Getting Older, PART 3

Thomas Friedman on the Future of America and the World: The Post-Election Dissection

Ctrl, Alt, Delusion: Resetting Reality In The Manosphere

Debate: It’s Time To Ditch the Canon of Great White Men, Part 2

Keir Starmer, Will Hutton, Alastair Campbell and Sonia Sodha on How to Remake Britain, Part Three

Simon Schama on Pandemics and the Health of Nations, Part Two

The 12 Books of Christmas | The Anxious Generation: Jonathan Haidt on How Smartphones Rewired Childhood

Politics in the Age of Chaos with Rafael Behr

About

Intelligence Squared

Get exclusive episodes, ad-free listening and more

Top Shows

Top Episodes

IQ2 Extra

Get exclusive episodes, ad-free listening and more

Top IQ2 Extra Episodes

About