(C) Project Syndicate
In July, a new report by Microsoft researchers caught the attention of the press, listing 40 professions most at risk of being replaced by artificial intelligence (AI). The list includes sales representatives, translators, proofreaders and other knowledge workers, indicating that a labor apocalypse for white-collar workers is approaching.
During a recent trip to Kazakhstan, I was struck by people’s enthusiasm for artificial intelligence (AI). Virtually everyone I met (scientists, politicians, entrepreneurs) was clearly convinced that this technology would help solve complex problems, from diversifying the economy and reducing dependence on natural resource exports to increasing access to key services, especially for people in remote regions. I expected AI knowledge to spread more slowly, and yet this positive attitude probably shouldn’t have surprised me. After all, the rapid development of AI offers great opportunities for developing countries.
US President Donald Trump spent almost the entire last week of October in Asia. He managed to achieve ceasefires on several fronts of the trade war, which he started by imposing duties on friendly and unfriendly countries. But he failed to create long-term economic structures and to dispel doubts about the U.S. strategic commitment to the region.
Over the past year, traditional financial donors have sharply reduced their commitments to assist developing countries, with some, such as the United States, effectively eliminating aid programs. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the amount of official development assistance provided by its member countries fell by 7.1% in 2024. This is the first time in the last six years that the annual figure has fallen.
Is artificial intelligence transforming the economy in any real sense, or are promises of rapid growth just hype? U.S. stock markets certainly lean toward the former view: AI and technology stocks have accounted for about three-quarters of the gains in the S&P 500 index this year. Venture capitalists seem convinced as well, with one estimate suggesting that $200 billion has been injected into the AI sector in 2025 alone.
Demographic studies by numerous think tanks correctly warn that by 2050 Europe will face unsustainable costs and social burdens due to an aging population. But they are ignored, calling them speculation and alarmism. European officials react with silence. The continent’s political parties studiously avoid the topic, fearing the electoral consequences of the necessary reforms.
Decarbonization of energy systems relies heavily on wind and solar power. Fortunately, the cost of solar energy is falling rapidly, and combined with the inexpensive batteries that are now available, solar power has become a competitive and reliable source of energy in sunny areas. But while wind power provides more energy than solar, its use has been slower to expand, in part because of opposition from politicians and local communities.
There is no doubt that artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the global economy at an unprecedented rate. But will it relieve rich countries of their increased debt burden, especially as rapidly aging populations increase the burden of social security costs? And if so, will these countries be able to quietly increase their budget deficits, effectively borrowing at the expense of the super-rich future generations?
In a speech to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), US President Donald Trump said he had “put an end to seven endless wars” and condemned the UN for its inaction.
Twenty democracies, representing both the Global North and the Global South, gathered at the UN on September 24 to not only reaffirm their commitment to democracy, but to develop a plan of action that will sustain and enrich it.
In the early 1940s, as World War II raged in Europe, Stefan Zweig’s memoir Die Welt von Gestern: Erinnerungen eines Europäers (“Yesterday’s World: Memories of a European”) was published by a German émigré publishing house in Stockholm. Zweig, full of sadness, describes the “rupture of time” that brought old Europe to an end in the fury of two terrible world wars.
In an era of shifting geopolitics, many countries’ strategic planning involves imaginative exercises to strengthen their position in the world. While Russia and China have had moderate success in this game, America’s efforts have already boomeranged.
