Podcasts about Gulf

With the US racing to develop AGI and superintelligence ahead of China, you might expect the two countries to be negotiating how they'll deploy AI, including in the military, without coming to blows. But according to Helen Toner, director of the Center for Security and Emerging Technology in DC, “the US and Chinese governments are barely talking at all.”Links to learn more, video, and full transcript: https://80k.info/ht25In her role as a founder, and now leader, of DC's top think tank focused on the geopolitical and military implications of AI, Helen has been closely tracking the US's AI diplomacy since 2019.“Over the last couple of years there have been some direct [US–China] talks on some small number of issues, but they've also often been completely suspended.” China knows the US wants to talk more, so “that becomes a bargaining chip for China to say, ‘We don't want to talk to you. We're not going to do these military-to-military talks about extremely sensitive, important issues, because we're mad.'”Helen isn't sure the groundwork exists for productive dialogue in any case. “At the government level, [there's] very little agreement” on what AGI is, whether it's possible soon, whether it poses major risks. Without shared understanding of the problem, negotiating solutions is very difficult.Another issue is that so far the Chinese Communist Party doesn't seem especially “AGI-pilled.” While a few Chinese companies like DeepSeek are betting on scaling, she sees little evidence Chinese leadership shares Silicon Valley's conviction that AGI will arrive any minute now, and export controls have made it very difficult for them to access compute to match US competitors.When DeepSeek released R1 just three months after OpenAI's o1, observers declared the US–China gap on AI had all but disappeared. But Helen notes OpenAI has since scaled to o3 and o4, with nothing to match on the Chinese side. “We're now at something like a nine-month gap, and that might be longer.”To find a properly AGI-pilled autocracy, we might need to look at nominal US allies. The US has approved massive data centres in the UAE and Saudi Arabia with “hundreds of thousands of next-generation Nvidia chips” — delivering colossal levels of computing power.When OpenAI announced this deal with the UAE, they celebrated that it was “rooted in democratic values,” and would advance “democratic AI rails” and provide “a clear alternative to authoritarian versions of AI.”But the UAE scores 18 out of 100 on Freedom House's democracy index. “This is really not a country that respects rule of law,” Helen observes. Political parties are banned, elections are fake, dissidents are persecuted.If AI access really determines future national power, handing world-class supercomputers to Gulf autocracies seems pretty questionable. The justification is typically that “if we don't sell it, China will” — a transparently false claim, given severe Chinese production constraints. It also raises eyebrows that Gulf countries conduct joint military exercises with China and their rulers have “very tight personal and commercial relationships with Chinese political leaders and business leaders.”In today's episode, host Rob Wiblin and Helen discuss all that and more.This episode was recorded on September 25, 2025.CSET is hiring a frontier AI research fellow! https://80k.info/cset-roleCheck out its careers page for current roles: https://cset.georgetown.edu/careers/Chapters:Cold open (00:00:00)Who's Helen Toner? (00:01:02)Helen's role on the OpenAI board, and what happened with Sam Altman (00:01:31)The Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) (00:07:35)CSET's role in export controls against China (00:10:43)Does it matter if the world uses US AI models? (00:21:24)Is China actually racing to build AGI? (00:27:10)Could China easily steal AI model weights from US companies? (00:38:14)The next big thing is probably robotics (00:46:42)Why is the Trump administration sabotaging the US high-tech sector? (00:48:17)Are data centres in the UAE “good for democracy”? (00:51:31)Will AI inevitably concentrate power? (01:06:20)“Adaptation buffers” vs non-proliferation (01:28:16)Will the military use AI for decision-making? (01:36:09)“Alignment” is (usually) a terrible term (01:42:51)Is Congress starting to take superintelligence seriously? (01:45:19)AI progress isn't actually slowing down (01:47:44)What's legit vs not about OpenAI's restructure (01:55:28)Is Helen unusually “normal”? (01:58:57)How to keep up with rapid changes in AI and geopolitics (02:02:42)What CSET can uniquely add to the DC policy world (02:05:51)Talent bottlenecks in DC (02:13:26)What evidence, if any, could settle how worried we should be about AI risk? (02:16:28)Is CSET hiring? (02:18:22)Video editing: Luke Monsour and Simon MonsourAudio engineering: Milo McGuire, Simon Monsour, and Dominic ArmstrongMusic: CORBITCoordination, transcriptions, and web: Katy Moore

When the Deepwater Horizon explodes on April 20, 2010, 11 men are killed, while the rest of the crew tries to escape the burning rig. In the days that follow, vast quantities of oil leak into the Gulf of Mexico. As the spill spreads, coastal communities struggle to deal with the scale of the environmental and economic disaster.Be the first to know about Wondery's newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more! Sign up now at https://wondery.fm/wonderynewsletterListen to American Scandal on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/american-scandal/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

"The Future Is Not a Grave" is a three-day workshop happening next week at NYUAD which explores futurisms and futurescapes across the MENA, Gulf, and Indian Ocean regions. In this collaborative episode with NYU Abu Dhabi Institute, conveners Tishani Doshi and Masha Kirasirova delve into challenging despair, fostering collective imagination, and integrating diverse perspectives from artists, scholars, and performers. Discover how this initiative seeks to redefine conversations about the future, moving beyond conventional narratives and embracing a more open-ended, tolerant, and inclusive approach.November 10-12, 2025 in Abu Dhabi

On this Halloween episode (October 31, 2025) host Jeff opens Right On Radio with a sober mixture of spiritual reflection and hard-hitting political commentary. He frames the show around two Bible passages (Galatians 2:20 and 1 Peter 5:8–9) in the regular Word on Word segment, then moves into a wide-ranging discussion about global unrest, faith under persecution, and looming geopolitical flashpoints. Jeff plays extended clips and analyzes recent media, including a feature from Tucker Carlson with guests (including Colonel McGregor and other analysts) about the chances of U.S. intervention in Venezuela and the strategic motives behind it. They debate whether an operation would be about drugs, resources, geopolitical signaling to Russia and China, or manufactured chaos to distract the public. Jeff connects these clips to current moves in Washington (reports of renewed nuclear testing and key officials being positioned in shelters), the surge of National Guard deployments for domestic unrest, and the potential for an international incident timed with domestic turmoil. The episode highlights the growing crisis of Christian persecution worldwide — with mention of violence in Nigeria and other countries — and examines how mainstream narratives shape what people notice about threats at home (open-air drug markets, child trafficking) versus far-away conflicts. Jeff also covers developments in the Israel–Gaza arena, including Knesset actions, J.D. Vance's visit, statements from Israeli spokespeople, and regional peace-plan analysis that ties the U.S., Gulf states and global finance together. Other segments include a disturbing clip about Canada's MAID euthanasia projections and ethical concerns, discussion of monetary shifts (gold and reserve currency issues), tariff-driven economic chaos, and references to upcoming protest dates and historical anniversaries (e.g., the Gunpowder Plot). Jeff weaves these geopolitical topics with spiritual encouragement — biblical patterns (the idea of ‘day 41'), prayer invitations (Telegram prayer meeting Saturday night), and upcoming Bible study on Corinthians — closing with an appeal for listeners to pray, stay alert, and remain rooted in faith. Listeners should expect a long-form, clip-driven program that blends scriptural reflection, conservative media excerpts, geopolitical analysis, and urgent calls to spiritual vigilance and community action. The episode is aimed at those concerned about the intersection of faith and global politics, offering both warning and hope as it surveys events that the host believes are reshaping nations and souls alike. Want to Understand and Explain Everything Biblically?  Click Here: Decoding the Power of Three: Understand and Explain Everything or go to www.rightonu.com and click learn more.  Thank you for Listening to Right on Radio. Prayerfully consider supporting Right on Radio. Click Here for all links, Right on Community ROC, Podcast web links, Freebies, Products (healing mushrooms, EMP Protection) Social media, courses and more... https://linktr.ee/RightonRadio Live Right in the Real World! We talk God and Politics, Faith Based Broadcast News, views, Opinions and Attitudes We are Your News Now. Keep the Faith

"Does doubt kill more dreams than failure?" That question sets the tone for this powerful episode of Kent Hance, The Best Storyteller in Texas Podcast, where Kent dives deep into the art of dreaming big and staying focused in a world full of distractions. From dusty tractor rides in Dimmitt, Texas to the halls of power, Kent shares personal anecdotes that reveal how visualization and perseverance can turn aspirations into reality. You'll hear timeless wisdom like his father's saying, "Hold her head up, Luke, I think she smells alfalfa," a metaphor for staying focused when temptation looms. This episode also explores: The impact of misinformation—from the Gulf of Tonkin to the digital age—and why proximity to the source matters. The decline of investigative journalism and its consequences for democracy. The internet's permanence and what young people must know about social media, judgment, and job prospects. Political campaigns and unforgettable moments, including the infamous Dukakis tank photo and Louisiana's colorful political history. Kent's candid reflections on leadership, integrity, and resilience will leave you inspired—and maybe even laughing at some of the wildest stories from the political arena. Memorable Quote: "Doubt kills more dreams than failure will." Call to Action If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with friends. Your support helps us bring more incredible stories and insights straight to your ears.