Sustainability and prosperity in the age of ecological scarcity

Contributor(s): Craig Mundie, Mairéad Pratschke | As AI absorbs data, gains agency, and intermediates between humans and reality, it will help us to address enormous crises, from climate change to geopolitical conflicts to income inequality. But it will also pose challenges on a scale and of an intensity that we have never seen before. Co-author Craig Mundie explains how his new book outlines a strategy for navigating the age of AI, charting a course between blind faith and unjustified fear. It is the final book of the late elder statesman Henry Kissinger written in collaboration with technologist Eric Schmidt. Mundie touches on how the book attempts to answer some of the biggest questions of our generation: How will AI alter our perception of reality? How will humanity's role in the discovery of new knowledge evolve in the age of AI? What new forms of control will be required to address AI's autonomous capabilities? Could AI spur a new phase in human evolution?

Contributor(s): Dr Samuel Gregg, Dr Paola Romero | In this timely event, Samuel Gregg will delve into the origins of the term "neoliberalism," its contested usefulness in contemporary discourse, and whether intellectuals such as F. A. Hayek and Milton Friedman fit the "neoliberal" label. He will critically engage various contemporary criticisms of neoliberalism, which includes but is not exclusive to economist Joseph Stiglitz, who argues that neoliberalism has deepened inequality and undermined social cohesion in the West, and philosopher Francis Fukuyama, who links it to the erosion of community and the rise of populism. Dr Gregg will also explore the intellectual foundations of classical liberalism as envisioned by thought leaders at the Mont Pelerin Society and Walter Lippmann Colloquium, emphasizing its grounding in families, communities, and other social institutions as essential components of a free society. He will connect these ideas to the current state of Western society, including the socio-political implications of the recent U.S. presidential election. This event provides an opportunity to reflect on the future of liberal democracy, the role of "neoliberalism" within it, and its broader impact on contemporary politics and society.

Contributor(s): Professor Barry Buzan, Dr Elizabeth Ingleson, Professor Vladislav Zubok | When Soviet power collapsed between 1989 and 1991, the overwhelming view in the West was that liberalism had triumphed. The world could look forward to a period of peace and prosperity, underpinned by globalisation backed by American power. Today all of that early optimism has faded, to be replaced by a deep fear that the world is once again dividing into two camps very much like the Cold War of old.

Contributor(s): Dr Phillip Rode, Professor Rachel Aldred, Dr Chris Tennant, Indira Ray | This episode of LSE iQ looks at whether we should still be driving, whether public transport in cities has helped alleviate the need to drive and how driverless cars are still a distance away from really helping solve the issue of the number of cars on the road.

Contributor(s): Dr Danny Sriskandarajah, Lysa John, Jo Swinson | In 2024, two billion people headed to the polls in some 50 countries around the world. But the drama of these elections risks obscuring just how fragile the foundations of democracy have become. A political system that is geared towards short-term wins, run by politicians that few of us trust, is failing to address complex global problems. Many of us feel disempowered, disillusioned and distrustful. Hear Danny Sriskandarajah discuss his new book Power to the People. Drawing on his extensive experience in leading civil society organisations around the globe, he sets out his radical blueprint for change. From giving democracy a participatory makeover to public ownership of social media spaces, and from re-energising co-operatives to creating a people’s chamber at the United Nations, he presents a range of inspiring ideas for how we can reclaim our power and change the world.