Genesis: artificial intelligence, hope, and the human spirit

Contributor(s): Dr Carl Benedikt Frey, Professor Jane Gingrich, Professor Michael Storper | How will progress end? In this event, Carl Benedikt Frey – one of the leading scholars of technology and the economy – will discuss his new book, How Progress Ends. To appreciate why we cannot depend on any AI-fueled great leap forward, Frey offers a remarkable and fascinating journey across the globe, spanning the past 1,000 years, to explain why some societies flourish and others fail in the wake of rapid technological change.

Contributor(s): Professor Padmashree Gehl Sampath, Dr Laura Mann | In this lecture, Padmashree Gehl Sampath compares the trajectories of two critical technology-driven sectors, pharmaceuticals and artificial intelligence, to show how weak policy and regulatory oversight can lead to technology capture and reduce the public interest benefits from technological innovation. Gehl Sampath will propose ways to arrive at new common – regional and global - approaches to promote technology for the public interest.

Contributor(s): Professor Cass R. Sunstein | Join us for this lecture by New York Times bestselling author and Harvard academic Cass R Sunstein. More than at any time since World War II, liberalism is under pressure, even siege. On the right, some have given up on liberalism. They hold it responsible for the collapse of the family and traditional values, rampant criminality, disrespect for authority, and widespread immorality. On the left, some are turning their backs on liberalism. They think that it lacks the resources to handle the problems posed by entrenched inequalities, racism, sexism, corporate power, and environmental degradation. But those opposed to liberalism do not depict it accurately; they offer a caricature, and they neglect its history. Cass Sunstein will offer an understanding of "big tent liberalism," capturing core commitments that unify much of the Anglo-American tradition. He points to the centrality of freedom, pluralism, and the rule of law - and to the value of experiments in living.

Contributor(s): Dr Michael Aldous, Professor John Turner, Dr Judy Stephenson | The CEOs of Britain's largest companies wield immense power, but we know very little about them. How did they get to the top? Why do they have so much power? Are they really worth that exorbitant salary? In their book, The CEO: The Rise and Fall of Britain's Captains of Industry, which they will discuss at this event, Michael Aldous and John Turner provide the answers by telling the story of the British CEO over the past century. From gentleman amateurs to professional managers, entrepreneurs, frauds, and fat cats, they reveal the characters who have made it to the top of the corporate ladder, how they got there, and what their rise tells us about British society. They show how the quality of their leadership influences productivity, innovation, economic development and, ultimately, Britain's place in the world. More recently, issues have arisen regarding high CEO pay, poor performance, and a lack of professionalisation and diversity. Are there lessons from history for those who would seek to reform Britain's flagging corporate economy?

Contributor(s): Dr Dana H. Allin, Dr Anahita Motazed Rad, Dr Sanam Vakil | This event will examine how a second Trump administration might reshape U.S.-Iran relations and regional security—whether through renewed maximum pressure, diplomatic engagement, or military action to contain Iran’s nuclear and military ambitions. The Middle East that Donald Trump left in 2021 is vastly different from the one he re-enters in 2025. Since October 7, the region’s strategic landscape has shifted dramatically, leaving Iran at its weakest and most isolated position since 1979. Economic turmoil, internal dissent, and regional setbacks—amid mounting U.S. and Israeli pressure—have further exposed Tehran’s vulnerabilities.