The Economics Show

Between the Iran war, high gas prices, and wobbly jobs numbers, central bankers have plenty to worry about. But some see a light on the horizon: artificial intelligence. AI could lead to abundant production and lower prices, allowing the Fed to lower interest rates, and boost the economy – or so the theory goes. But how will we know if AI is boosting productivity? And what happens if the AI advocates promising an economic transformation are wrong? Soumaya is joined by Austan Goolsbee, head of the Chicago Federal Reserve, to discuss these questions and more. Soumaya and Austan also analyse how Fed chair nominee, Kevin Warsh, might change the central bank; and how Austan feels about Jay Powell’s plans to stick around.

The inaugural FT Weekend Festival in New York City is fast approaching, with a line-up featuring Paul Krugman, Martin Wolf, Gillian Tett, and plenty more. Join on Saturday, June 20, at Spring Studios or online. Register now and as a podcast listener, save 10% using our code FTPODCAST.

Further reading:
AI boom poised to be ‘massively disinflationary’, Northern Trust says
US economy grows at 2% pace in first quarter as AI boom fuels investment
The real Greenspan lesson for Warsh on inflation

Produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval with original music from Breen Turner and sound design by Sam Giovinco. The senior producers are Edwin Lane and Michela Tindera. The FT head of audio is Cheryl Brumley.
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Typically, a society’s population remains stable if women have about 2.1 children each. By that metric, the word has a big problem. In developed countries the total fertility rate is well below that figure. So what are the economic consequences of that shortfall? Soumaya Keynes speaks to Melissa Kearney, a professor at the University of Notre Dame and the director of the Aspen Economic Strategy Group, which recently put out a series on the topic: Demographic Headwinds: The Economic Consequences of Lower Birth Rates and Longer Lives.They discuss why the fertility rate won’t reverse course any time soon — and what happens when the rest of the baby boomers retire.

Further reading:
Why are fertility rates collapsing? Gender roles
Could working from home solve the global fertility crisis?

Subscribe to Soumaya's show on Apple, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you listen.
Presented by Soumaya Keynes. Produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval. Michela Tindera is the senior producer. Original music and sound design by Breen Turner. The FT head of audio is Cheryl Brumley.

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

A few months ago, the oil market looked pretty serene. But the US-Iran war has upended global supplies and pushed energy security to the top of the policy agenda. Importers have realised they need to diversify their energy sources. What role will renewables have to play? And would a shift towards green energy just mean trading one bottleneck for another? Soumaya Keynes speaks to Daniel Yergin, vice-chair of S&P Global and author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book ‘The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power'.

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

Further reading:
How to survive an energy crunch
Will the Iran war derail the energy transition?
Middle East war strengthens case for renewables, say clean energy experts

Presented by Soumaya Keynes. Produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval. The senior producer was Michela Tindera. Original music by Breen Turner. Sound design by Samantha Giovinco. The FT head of audio is Cheryl Brumley.

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

The economist John Kenneth Galbraith once quipped that “there can be few fields of human endeavour in which history counts for so little as in the world of finance.”

This show sets out to prove the opposite.

Each week, FT columnist Gillian Tett and FT Alphaville editor Robin Wigglesworth dig into the ideas, personalities and institutions that have shaped global finance.

From unregulated banking in 19th-century frontier America to institutionalised debt jubilees in ancient Mesopotamia, and from the birth of credit derivatives to the great market meltdowns of the past, Robin and Gillian uncover the story of money because time and again, the same manias and mistakes resurface. Tune in and you might just understand where the next financial opportunities and disasters could be hiding.

Subscribe to The Story of Money wherever you get your podcasts and watch the show on YouTube.

Learn more about the show at ft.com/tsom and find out more about Gillian Tett here and Robin Wigglesworth here.

Follow FT Alphaville here.

Hosts: Gillian Tett and Robin Wigglesworth
Producer: Lulu Smyth
Senior Producer: Michela Tindera
Executive Producers: Flo Phillips and Manuela Saragosa
Original music and sound engineering: Breen Turner
Podcast Development: Laura Clarke
Global Head of Audio: Cheryl Brumley
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

China runs an enormous trade surplus, much to the chagrin of some of its trading partners: cheap exports of cars, chemicals and other goods are hampering major economies, especially in Europe. But the Asian nation, the world’s largest exporter, is a net importer of oil. Could higher oil prices help redress global trade imbalances? Soumaya Keynes speaks to Brad Setser, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, to discuss how global trade imbalances have changed, why Beijing’s surplus may be bigger than it looks, and what European leaders should be doing about it.

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

Related reading
What's really shocking about the second China shock?
China shock 2.0: should Europe welcome Chinese investment?

Presented by Soumaya Keynes. Produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval and Sonja Hutson. Edwin Lane is the senior producer. Original music and sound design by Breen Turner. The FT's head of audio is Cheryl Brumley.

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