The Tea with Myriam Francois

AI’s risks are framed here less as a distant apocalypse than as a present-day crisis of power, profit, and accountability. Timnit Gebru examines why superintelligence warnings dominate the conversation while AI’s role in warfare, environmental harm, and corporate lobbying gets less scrutiny.

The episode examines the war in Ukraine, the mounting confrontation between Russia and the West, and whether Europe is drifting toward another Cold War. With journalist Luke Harding, it also explores Britain’s role, the limits of military victory, and Trump’s unusually deferential posture toward Putin.

Gaza, international law, and political accountability are at the center of this conversation with Norman Finkelstein. The episode asks why global institutions appear unable to stop Israel’s actions, and whether public pressure and political shifts could still force meaningful change.

Big Tech’s growing political power is the focus here, from Silicon Valley diplomacy to the revolving door between governments and tech firms. Dr Jennifer Cassidy argues that tech companies now shape sovereignty, security, and regulation in ways many states struggle to control.

AI hype, job fears, surveillance, and Silicon Valley mythology are at the center of this conversation with Cory Doctorow. The episode asks whether AI is a genuine revolution or a dangerous tech bubble, and shifts the focus toward monopoly power, labor, and political action.