logo
episode-header-image
May 2023
26m 5s

Suck in the middle: the hole in America’...

The Economist
About this episode

The past few years have proved tumultuous both for American consumers and for retailers selling to them. The end result is a curious slump for middle-of-the-road brands. Artificial intelligence like ChatGPT stands to disrupt everything from art to coding; we self-interestedly explore probable effects on journalism. And remembering Ranajit Guha, a historian who saw a different India by looking bottom-up. 


Take our listener survey at www.economist.com/intelligencesurvey


And for full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Oct 30
Silver-year strongman: 25 years of Narendra Modi
We examine the record of the man at the helm of India’s government. As protests pose a fresh threat, where will he take the country next? From New Hampshire to Virginia, our American-midterms series takes you to the races you might be missing. And the life of Winston Churchill’s ... Show More
27m 50s
Oct 29
Effective non-altruism: Elon Musk’s foundation
The world’s richest person does not say much nice about philanthropy, and his foundation does not say much about itself. Our correspondent digs deeper. The next stop for our midterm-elections series is Kansas, where a Republican-seeming Democrat has an unlikely shot at the Senate ... Show More
23m 2s
Oct 28
Bye bye Bibi? Israel’s election results
Binyamin Netanyahu has underperformed but so has his main opponent, Gadi Eisenkot. Who will form a government? We decipher what the messy results mean for Israel. Our American-midterms series heads south to Georgia. And how film critics and audiences have agreed to disagree.Guest ... Show More
21m 19s
Recommended Episodes
May 2023
Suck in the middle: the hole in America’s consumer base
<p>The past few years have proved tumultuous both for American consumers and for retailers selling to them. The end result is a <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2023/05/02/the-business-trend-that-unites-walmart-and-tiffany-and-co?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podc ... Show More
26m 5s
Mar 2025
A Consumer Canary In The Coal Mine… And An AI Bubble Warning 03/25/25
<p>Shares of Walmart get hit as consumer confidence comes in at its lowest level in 12 years. Is the retail giant a canary in the coal mine for a potential recession? Plus One Chinese tech executive sounding the AI alarm. The bubble he sees forming, and why one top tech analyst s ... Show More
43m 52s
Aug 2025
Consultant management: McKinsey loses its shine
The world’s biggest strategy consultant has smaller rivals nipping at its heels. As it nears 100 years old, we ask how it will navigate a tricky AI-inflected future. It is already hard enough to fiddle with travel plans to get the cheapest flight. A new thing to consider? Whether ... Show More
21m 10s
Apr 2023
Situation reporter: Evan Gershkovich’s detention
<p>Russia’s arrest of a <em>Wall Street Journal</em> correspondent is heading toward a diplomatic<a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/04/05/calls-for-russia-to-free-evan-gershkovich-fall-on-deaf-ears?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligen ... Show More
26m 43s
Jul 2024
How AI Could Bring Dead Relatives Back to Life.
<p>Shares drop in US and Asia as AI stocks slide.</p> <p>Artie Intel and Micheline Learning report on Artificial Intelligence for The AI Report.</p> <p>CrowdStrike reveals what caused the big Windows outage.</p> <p>Developers claim AI can help combat loneliness, but critics say i ... Show More
9m 47s
Jun 2023
Antitrust, the process: America’s competition cops
<p>This week’s court battle involving Microsoft and Activision, giants of tech and gaming, reflects a sea change under way in America’s trustbusting machinery; it <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/06/21/why-joe-bidens-trustbusters-have-fallen-short-of-their-am ... Show More
24m 22s
Feb 2025
AI's Sputnik moment
Chinese startup DeepSeek has upended assumptions about what it will take to fund and fuel the next generation of artificial intelligence. Tech correspondents Jeffrey Dastin and Anna Tong discuss the fallout for Silicon Valley, investors and global politics.   Sign up for the Reu ... Show More
15m 35s