The Economics Show

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.

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Related Links

Where is AI showing up in the productivity data?

The AI productivity take-off is finally visible

Presented by Soumaya Keynes. Produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval. Manuela Saragosa is the executive producer. Sound design by Sean McGarrity. Original music by Breen Turner. The FT head of audio is Cheryl Brumley.

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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.

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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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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 links
Europe’s best bet for financial sovereignty is a true safe asset
Europe is not thinking straight on competitiveness

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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 new policy changes? And will US companies that have already paid tariffs get their money back? To discuss all this and more, Soumaya is joined by former US trade representative, and president of the Council on Foreign Relations, Michael Froman.

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Presented by Soumaya Keynes. Produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval. Original music from Breen Turner, and sound design by Sean McGarrity

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 behavioural science still have a role in policymaking? Former member of the UK’s Behavioural Insights Team and professor of behavioural science, Nick Chater, reflects on the legacy of nudges.

Related Links
Can we ‘nudge’ our way to higher growth?
The uses — and the limits — of ‘nudge’ economics
What nudge theory got wrong

Subscribe to Soumaya's show on Apple, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you listen.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.