Digital technology, and AI in particular, is getting a lot of hype at the moment. Daron Acemoglu thinks that unchecked techno-optimism is concentrating power in the hands of a super-wealthy elite, threatening the livelihoods of the rest of us, and undermining democracy. Tim Phillips talks to him about why he wrote his new book called Power and Progress, co-authored with Simon Johnson, how we can redirect the path of innovation, and why he signed that letter to urge a pause in AI innovation.

How do China’s government-owned commercial banks respond to informal guidance from The People’s Bank of China? Their reaction to recent guidance designed to cool off mortgage lending offers a fascinating insight into how the banking sector works in China. Michel Habib of the University of Zurich talks to Tim Phillips.

In 2020 finance ministers threw their fiscal policy plans into the bin and did everything they could to protect and stimulate Covid-hit economies. How much of the spike in inflation did the Covid rescue cause? Galina Hale talks to Tim Phillips.

Between the 16th and 18th centuries, at least 180,000 tons of silver and around 4,000 tons of gold were extracted from the Americas and transported to Europe. How much of western Europe’s economic transformation can be attributed to this windfall? Yao Chen tells Tim Phillips about new research that upends the conventional wisdom.

When the political debate hots up in the world’s largest democracy, is this good for newspaper circulation? Guilhem Cassan talks to Tim Phillips about how to make a causal link from Indian politics to how many newspapers are sold, and what sort of papers they are.