Is this crisis big enough? How crises can force solutions

The Power of Crisis | GZERO World

Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine hasn’t gone to plan, BUT he has achieved something nearly unimaginable: get US Republicans and Democrats to agree on something.

And it's not just a US problem. Trust in government has plummeted all around the world, to the point that this has becoming the defining story of our era. That's why international institutions like the UN or the IMF are no longer fit for purpose.

To fix this broken system, we need a crisis. For instance, a pandemic, climate change, or Big Tech.

But it must be a crisis that's so destructive it forces us to respond fast, and together — like World War II. That's the crisis that created the international system we have today, and kept the peace until now.

In his book The Power of Crisis, Ian Bremmer looks at three looming challenges, and what we should do about them so we are not caught unprepared when the Big One hits.

More from GZERO Media

- YouTube

A military confrontation between India and Pakistan in May nearly pushed the two nuclear-armed countries to the brink of war. On Ian Explains, Ian Bremmer breaks down the complicated history of the India-Pakistan conflict, one of the most contentious and bitter rivalries in the world.

A combination picture shows Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting with Arkhangelsk Region Governor Alexander Tsybulsky in Severodvinsk, Arkhangelsk region, Russia July 24, 2025.
REUTERS/Leah Millis

In negotiations, the most desperate party rarely gets the best terms. As Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin meet in Alaska today to discuss ending the Ukraine War, their diverging timelines may shape what deals emerge – if any.

The Caryn influencer artificial intelligence AI page is seen in this illustration photo taken in Warsaw, Poland on 05 December, 2023.
(Photo by Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto)

Since its inception, generative AI such as ChatGPT has run primarily in the cloud: large data centers run by large companies. In that home, AI is reliant on electricity-hungry computers, robust internet connections, and centralized data.