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The risks of reckless AI rollout with Tristan Harris
Can we align AI with society’s best interests? Tristan Harris, co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology, joins Ian Bremmer on the GZERO World Podcast to discuss the risks to humanity and society as tech firms ignore safety and prioritize speed in the race to build more and more powerful AI models. AI is the most powerful technology humanity has ever built. It can cure disease, reinvent education, unlock scientific discovery. But there is a danger to rolling out new technologies en masse to society without understanding the possible risks. What if the way we deploy artificial intelligence, Harris argues, isn’t inevitable, but a choice?
The tradeoff between AI’s risks and potential rewards is similar to deployment of social media. It began as a tool to connect people and, in many ways, it did. But it also become an engine for polarization, disinformation, and mass surveillance. That wasn’t inevitable. It was the product of choices—choices made by a small handful of companies moving fast and breaking things. Will AI follow the same path? Is there a path forward where innovation aligns with humanity?
“If we deploy AI recklessly in a way that causes AI psychosis or kids' suicides or degrades mental health or causes every kid to outsource their homework,” Harris warns, “it's very obvious the long-term trajectory of we are going to have a weaker civilization.”
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Is the future of AI physical?
Whoever dominates, the payoff will be huge. Autonomous machines will transform industries like transportation, healthcare, and logistics. They can offset labor shortages in aging societies like Germany, Japan, and South Korea. Morgan Stanley estimates humanoid robots could be a $5 trillion industry by 2050. But at least right now, physical AI is still awkward. Robots stumble and all down. Programming dexterity and intuition is a lot more challenging than text prediction. But given how fast the field is accelerating, soon, the challenge won’t be whether AI becomes part of our world but how we choose to live with it.
GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, the award-winning weekly global affairs series, airs nationwide on US public television stations (check local listings).
New digital episodes of GZERO World are released every Monday on YouTube. Don't miss an episode: subscribe to GZERO's YouTube channel and turn on notifications (🔔). GZERO World with Ian Bremmer airs on US public television weekly - check local listings.
Every job will be reshaped by AI, says World Bank’s Christine Qiang
Artificial intelligence is transforming the global workforce, but its impact looks different across economies.
Christine Qiang, Global Director in the World Bank’s Digital Vice Presidency, tells GZERO Media’s Tony Maciulis that while “every single job will be reshaped,” developing countries are seeing faster growth in demand for AI skills than high-income nations.
Connectivity remains a critical foundation. “So many people still don't have energy, and many have digital access, but they are not using it,” Qiang notes, stressing the importance of affordable, reliable infrastructure.
She highlights data as “the new electricity” for developing economies to leapfrog into the AI era, provided global governance keeps large language models open and inclusive.
This conversation is presented by GZERO in partnership with Microsoft. The Global Stage series convenes global leaders for critical discussions on the geopolitical and technological trends shaping our world.
Axel van Trotsenburg reflects on his 37-year career at the World Bank
As the global economy faces uncertainty, Axel van Trotsenburg, Senior Managing Director of the World Bank, warns that “a wait-and-see attitude” is holding back investment and growth, especially in developing countries. Speaking with GZERO Media’s Tony Maciulis on the sidelines of the 2025 World Bank-IMF Annual Meetings, van Trotsenburg highlights human capital and infrastructure as key priorities, with a growing urgency to bridge both the digital and AI divides.
On the role of technology, he stresses the promise of “small AI,” which can empower farmers and small businesses, while cautioning that large-scale AI depends on reliable energy access, a gap Africa must close to unlock opportunity. Reflecting on his 37-year career, he cites the World Bank’s evolution into a truly global institution and the mobilization of resources for the poorest countries as major achievements.
This conversation is presented by GZERO Media in partnership with Microsoft. The Global Stage series convenes global leaders for critical discussions on the geopolitical and technological trends shaping our world.
US-China AI race: Dueling strategies and potential risks
In this episode of "Ask Ian," Ian Bremmer explores the evolving AI landscape and competition between the US and China.
Both countries lead in AI capabilities but differ in strategy. The US focuses on developing foundational Large Language Models (LLMs), aiming for consumer engagement and significant valuation increases. In contrast, China seeks to deploy AI in core industrial sectors like biotechnology and space. Ian notes that China wants “more efficiency, they want better energy use.”
Ian also highlights a shift in US policy, citing Nvidia's deal with Trump on chip sales to China. He contrasts the geopolitical significance of TikTok to Trump's agenda with how Taiwan matters to Xi Jinping.
Lastly, Ian warns of societal risks due to AI's psychological impact, advocating for stringent regulations and cautioning against unchecked consumer AI deployment: "We need far better regulations, and we need far more safety for society and for our mental and emotional well‑being.”
How can data and AI transform humanitarian action?
As the United Nations turns 80, the urgency to rethink global cooperation has never been greater. In a live broadcast from the UN headquarters and moderated by GZERO Media’s Global Chief Content Officer, Tony Maciulis, an expert panel gathered to discuss if AI and data can reshape a strained multilateral system to meet today’s crises.
The conversation featured top UN officials and global partners reflecting on both the challenges and opportunities ahead. Guy Ryder, Under-Secretary-General for Policy, UN, emphasized that multilateralism remains essential but requires sharper results. Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, noted cautious progress in peace diplomacy while warning of extreme strain on humanitarian workers. Ugo Daniels, Deputy Director, International Organization for Migration, highlighted how data can shift focus from temporary relief to durable migration solutions.
The second panel expanded the lens: Dr. Comfort Ero, President & CEO, International Crisis Group, warned that with 62 conflicts worldwide, the UN remains indispensable but must evolve; Dr. Ahmed Ogwell, CEO & President, VillageReach; former head of Africa CDC, urged better crisis preparedness and stronger community engagement with their own data; and Gunn Jorid Roset, Director General, Norad, reaffirmed Norway’s support for reform and evidence-based aid.
Across both panels, one theme resonated: technology alone cannot end wars, heal trauma, or feed the hungry. But combined with reform, political will, and smarter partnerships, better use of data and AI can help the UN deliver solutions.
This livestream, “Rethink, Reset, Deliver Better with Data and AI,” was an event produced in partnership between the Complex Risk Analytics Fund, or CRAF’d, and GZERO Media’s Global Stage series, sponsored by Microsoft.
Trump's climate "scam" talk at the UN was just that–talk
At the UN, President Trump called climate change a "con job" and a "scam." But here's the thing, says Eurasia Group's Franck Gbaguidi, it doesn't matter what you call it, it matters what you do about it. And so far, Trump has changed how we talk about climate change, but not what's being done about it.
President Trump has made it a mission to roll back the clock on climate policy, like withdrawing again from the Paris Climate Agreement, doubling down on fossil fuels or demonizing offshore wind. But really, when it comes to action, that's pretty much about it.
What he has done is changed the way sustainability advocates, world leaders, or even large corporations, are talking about climate change. So now they no longer talk about energy transition, but they talk about energy security. Before you couldn't talk about nuclear power here in New York during climate week because Fukushima and many other incidents, now there's an excitement that we've never seen before.
France, Egypt, South Korea, all these countries are ramping up efforts and they're doing so under the framework of energy security. Take climate change. We no longer talk about climate change per se, but we focus on water security. That's because people can deny that climate change exists, but they won't deny droughts, they won't deny floods. Take the US and Mexico and all of the water access issues at the border. Take China and India when it comes to dam constructions and all of the controversies that come with it. Same thing with Greece and Bulgaria and their water agreement. Water stress has become a major issue, and work is being done both on the policy side and on the investment side to ensure that we have the right technology to address the problem.
Final example, emission reductions. We no longer talk about it now we focus on adaptation. So you're not hearing as much about those big, shiny targets to reduce emissions. That era is pretty much over and done with. Most countries are no longer announcing ambitious targets, they're focusing on adaptation. Take India, for instance, where outdoor workers now, for a big part of the year, can only work until 10:00 a.m before it gets too hot. So it's about addressing the world that we live in today rather than preventing one we don't want to live in tomorrow.
So why does it matter? If you watch the news, you may think that we are in a "stop the clock" moment. Big countries are pulling out of climate accords. They're no longer prioritizing the topic. I mean, here in New York at the UN, artificial intelligence and many other hot button issues have basically pushed climate to the back burner. But that is in fact hot topic. There is still plenty being done. So yes, Trump will keep calling climate change scam. But that won't stop what companies, investors, and world leaders are doing to address it.
The AI arms race goes global
“They’re not going to own it. They’re not going to make it. They’re going to be takers, not makers.”
Ian Bremmer and Julia Chatterley discuss how the AI arms race is reshaping geopolitics, not just for the Global South, but also for Europe and beyond.
Watch more Global Stage coverage from the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly here: gzeromedia.com/globalstage