logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2024
20m 38s

The Intelligence: AI rest my case

The Economist
About this episode

The companies behind this wonder of tech are facing allegations of using copyrighted material to build their large language models (LLMs). But will the courts consider it fair use? Why ex-inmates are so likely to die just after they leave prison (10:15). And, the case for booing in sports (16:13). 


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.


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

Up next
Today
That warm buzzy feeling: malaria and climate change
As temperatures climb, mosquitoes will migrate to places where natural resistance to malaria is lower. More and more severe natural disasters will make for more breeding grounds. How to stop a deadly disease getting deadlier? In China’s cut-throat food-delivery war, absolutely no ... Show More
24m 43s
Aug 22
Rule and divide: opposition grows in Syria
Less than nine months after Syria’s dictator Bashar al-Assad was toppled, the honeymoon is over. How is the new regime responding to rising dissent? Introducing Britain’s revolutionary retirees: why pensioners increasingly dominate political protest. And celebrating the life of o ... Show More
23m 38s
Aug 21
Stake and chips: will America take 10% of Intel?
Intel was once synonymous with chip-making, but in recent years it has fallen behind. Now the Trump administration may become its biggest shareholder. A political assassination in Colombia raises fears about a return to violence. And what an annual snail race tells us about rural ... Show More
21m 2s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2024
The Intelligence: AI rest my case
The companies behind this wonder of tech are facing allegations of using copyrighted material to build their large language models (LLMs). But will the courts consider it fair use? Why ex-inmates are so likely to die just after they leave prison (10:15). And, the case for booing ... Show More
20m 38s
Apr 2024
The Intelligence: Bombs squad
The game theory was simpler during a cold war between two states armed to the teeth; the nuclear world order has since become far more complex and dangerous. Nvidia is on a tear making the artificial-intelligence community’s favoured chips. What plans, and perils, lie ahead for t ... Show More
26m 2s
Dec 2023
The Intelligence: I spy, with my Valley eye
The cradle of American technology was once known for its libertarian values—but as law-enforcement agencies seek more means of surveillance, Silicon Valley companies are piling in. Mounting cases in America’s courts reveal a trend of progressives arguing for their religious right ... Show More
21m 10s
Mar 2024
The Intelligence: The fallen crypto king learns his fate
It has been called one of the biggest financial frauds in American history. After the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, its founder is facing a maximum jail sentence of 110 years. Why the race to build new cities is difficult, but potentially worthwhile (10:01). And how M& ... Show More
21m 58s
Mar 2024
The Intelligence: Bad Apple?
The case against the tech giant has been brewing since 2019 and while the smartphone maker is usually well-equipped to bat away regulators, this fight could bruise. Why Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier, Haiti’s most prominent warlord, could play a key role in the country’s future (09:4 ... Show More
25m 2s
Mar 2024
The Intelligence: Fed reckoning
America’s central bank left rates untouched, to widespread market delight. Why is this economic cycle confounding expectations so much, and how to bring it to a gentle end? We look at the modern fortunes of Vodafone, a once-mighty telecoms firm that is slimming down to get health ... Show More
21m 28s
Nov 2023
The Intelligence: Sam Altman and the divide in the AI world
It is still unclear why the board of OpenAI fired him last week, but hundreds of staff are revolting anyway. The debacle reveals a sizeable rift between the tech companies at the forefront of AI development. Canadians typically consider themselves pro-immigration. Is the tide cha ... Show More
26m 19s
Apr 2024
The Intelligence: Surveilling China’s diaspora
There are fears about TikTok, but it’s not the only social media platform that the Chinese state might be using to monitor the rest of the world. That’s especially worrying for those in its diaspora who thought they were free. How monopolies are transforming America’s skiing indu ... Show More
23m 3s
Oct 2023
Windows of opportunity: Microsoft’s AI push
The once-unassailable titan of tech has missed big opportunities in recent years. But it has a reasonable shot at the title again, thanks to its artificial-intelligence ambitions. Sexual assault allegations in China made the Women’s Tennis Association take a hard line on tourname ... Show More
23m 27s
Sep 2023
When politics dictates policy: China’s faltering economy
 During past economic downturns, officials have been both swift and bold. This time not so much—because their hands are tied by knotty internal politics. We ask why Latin America makes for such a useful playground for Russian spies (10:07). And remembering Fernando Botero, a Colo ... Show More
25m 11s