DeepSeek, Deep State or Deep Pockets? Karen Hao on China’s AI Power Play
30 January 2025 - 40 minsChina's DeepSeek has done what it does best, it's made a better copy of an American product. Deepseek has disrupted the markets this week and is almost outperforming OpenAI while spending as little as one hundredth of the cost. In a world where Silicon Valley has long operated under a “winner takes all” model, DeepSeek’s breakthrough proves that sheer financial power is no longer the defining factor in technological supremacy. It's more than a story about AI, it's about geopolitics, economic power shifts, and how constraints fuel innovation. As the U.S. scrambles to maintain dominance, pouring billions into AI infrastructure and tightening restrictions on China, has it inadvertently made its...
The Ed Sheeranisation of Irish Economic Policy
This episode provides a midterm assessment of the Irish economy, exploring the disconnect between record-breaking macroeconomic data and the lived experience of the public. We analyse the "Ed Sheeranization" of Ireland,the delicate balance between American corporate reliance and European political identity, and the systemic risks posed by the global AI arms race. From "Dutch disease" to the challenges of economic gluttony, we examine why Ireland’s future is now entirely in its own hands. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
39 mins
22 September Finished
Pacing the Frontier: Global Capital, Bond Markets, and the AI Pivot
There has been a transition from a world of abundant capital to one of scarcity. With the rising interest rates across the US, UK, and France, we discuss the economic implications of Donald Trump’s "fairway diplomacy" in Ireland, the structural fragility of European bond markets, and the sudden shift in rhetoric from AI leaders calling for regulation. Is the move to "pace the frontier" is a moral awakening regarding existential risk or a strategic play for state protection in a tightening financial landscape? NYC Tickets: https://irishartscenter.org/event/an-evening-with-david-mcwilliams-2026 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
41 mins
17 September Finished
The Death of the Night-Time Economy: Why Ireland is Closing Down After Midnight
This week, we analyse the collapse of Ireland's night-time economy, noting that 2,205 pubs, one in four nationwide, have closed since 2005. With regional closure rates hitting 37% in Limerick and 33% in Cork, the discussion highlights how high excise duties and archaic licensing laws are strangling a $4 billion industry that supports 92,000 jobs. The episode explores why a country that markets itself on fun is systematically shutting down its social infrastructure. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
37 mins
15 September Finished
Fairway Diplomacy: How Golf Became Ireland's Secret Weapon Against Trump
Donald Trump touches down in Doonbeg this weekend for the Irish Open at his own golf course, and we're asking whether Ireland should protest or play along. We unpack the extraordinary Irish-American relationship: 40 daily flights to the US, $1.3 trillion in American investment, 300,000 jobs, and a bond built more on kitchen tables than diplomacy. We're joined by Donal Casey, former CEO of Rory McIlroy Inc., to talk golf's economics, why LIV Golf failed despite Saudi billions, and how the fairway - not the barricades, might be Ireland's smartest move with America's most unpredictable president. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
40 mins
10 September Finished
Germany’s Seismic Shift: The Rise of the AfD
A deep dive into the AfD’s 44% victory in Saxony-Anhalt and its implications for the European Union. We analyse the collapse of Germany’s political center, the demographic divide among young voters, and the historical tensions between East and West that are reshaping the continent’s future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
42 mins
8 September Finished
The AI Culture Wars
We explore the new ideological divide between Silicon Valley’s techno-optimists and institutional economists like Daron Acemoglu. Will AI drive shared prosperity or concentrate wealth among a new technocratic elite? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
37 mins
3 September Finished