Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.  The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus. On this week’s edition of the Friday Focus podcast, Janice and Rudyard start the show with a discussion of this week’s developments in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. Why are we seeing a sudden flare-up of violence, including rocket attacks, jet strikes and a controversial protest and raid on the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem? Friday Focus wraps up with a discussion of China’s growing efforts to advance its currency as a substitute for the U.S. dollar in global trade. What exactly is happening here, and what could it mean for the future of USD as a global reserve currency in the decade ahead? To access full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast, consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Nearly a quarter of the way through the 21st century, there is no doubt that governments and businesses around the world have made tremendous progress in stemming their carbon emissions.  But we still have a long way to go if we are to reach a goal of net zero emissions by 2050. For certain scientists, business owners, and public officials, net zero by 2050 is a chimera, and the costs associated with denying this reality will be tremendous.  Replacing an entire global economy’s reliance on fossil fuels will take enormous sums of money, a complete reprioritization of natural resources, and an ecological paradigm shift in the global citizenry.  There are simply too many hurdles, some of which high beyond our reach, that will make this laudable goal yet another empty promise.  not only achievable, but absolutely necessary to avoid the worst effects of climate change. Progress towards this goal in the last few years has been consistent. New technologies are on the horizon that will transform how we create, store, and transfer energy, as well as technology that will reduce carbon in the atmosphere.  For the first time, it feels like the lion's share of the global community is pulling in the same direction. And when enough communities and governments are committed to the goal, they can and will move mountains.     Arguing for the motion is Simon Michaux, Associate Professor of Geometallurgy at the Geological Survey of Finland. Dr. Michaux’s long-term work is on societal transformation toward a circular economy and he advises the EU on how to best transfer from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.   Arguing against the motion is Tom Rand, Managing Partner of ArcTern Ventures and sits on the board of a number of clean energy companies and organizations. Tom’s focus is on carbon mitigation as an entrepreneur, venture capitalist, author and speaker. Speaker Quotes  SIMON MICHAUX: “The plan to phase out fossil fuels by 2050 or even go net-zero by 2050 is humongous and not practical”.   TOM RAND: “This is the hardest thing we've ever tried to do, but we're getting some early indications that the economy is going to start shifting in a pretty serious way”. The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.     Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/   To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.     To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/   Senior Producer: Jacob Lewis Editor: Adam Karch  

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.  The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus. On this week’s edition of the Friday Focus podcast, Janice and Rudyard start the show with a discussion of the recent letter by artificial intelligence experts calling for a six-month hiatus on the development and launch of new technologies. What is the root concern here? How at risk are we of creating a machine intelligence that slips its digital handcuffs? And, if this does happen, what is the likely result? The second part of the program discusses the indictment of Donald Trump on felony charges. What does this event say about the state and future of American democracy? What are the risks of pursuing former politicians with criminal charges versus upholding the rule of law? To access full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast, consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com. Pause Giant AI Experiments: An Open Letter: https://futureoflife.org/open-letter/pause-giant-ai-experiments/

Over half a million people have taken to the streets in the biggest protest movement the country has ever seen in response to Prime Minister’s Benjamin Netanyahu’s controversial plan to overhaul the judiciary and give unprecedented legal powers to the government. Michael Oren, the former Israeli ambassador to the US and Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s office, joins us for a Munk Dialogue about what he sees as a clash of two Israels: On the one side is a liberal and secular faction that wants to be a leader in tech, science, and the arts; and on the other, a more religious and right wing voting bloc whose vision for Israel is quite the opposite.   The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.   Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.   To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.  The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus. On this week’s edition of the Friday Focus podcast, Janice and Rudyard start the show with a discussion of this week’s summitry between Putin and Xi. What did we learn about these two autocratic leaders and how they plan to work together to thwart American hegemony? Friday Focus wraps up with a discussion of the growing protests in France over raising the retirement age. Is France on the brink of 1968-style unrest? What do the protests say about the government’s ability to reform entitlement programs as populations age and deficit spending soars?  To access full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast, consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Seemingly overnight, Chat GPT has exploded out of the deepest corners of the emerging tech space and into the mainstream, capturing the imaginations of everyone from students to CEOs. But with any new exciting technology, there tend to be more questions than answers. For the creators of Chat GPT, tech writers, and other AI evangelists, this is a Sputnik level moment in tech, and will have far ranging and transformational consequences for the future.  The impact of this revolutionary technology is already being felt, and this is truly just the beginning.  This does not mean that Chat GPT will transform the world for the better, but will without a doubt come to define life in the 21st century. But for other computer scientists, AI specialists, and the generally unimpressed, Chap GPT is nothing more than a clever party trick.  Chat GPT is not even close to artificial general intelligence, but merely a finely tuned and at times impressive mimic.  Chat GPT is also rife with errors, and is difficult to trust. A program that produces such inconsistent results is far more likely to be a flash in the pan than a technological revolution   Arguing for the motion is Gary Marcus, Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Neural Science at NYU and a leading voice in artificial intelligence. He is the author of five books, including, The Algebraic Mind, Kluge, The Birth of the Mind, and the New York Times Bestseller Guitar Zero. His most recent book, Rebooting AI, with Ernest Davis, is one of Forbes’s 7 Must Read Books in AI.     Arguing against the motion is Jeremy Kahn, Senior Writer focused on artificial intelligence at Fortune Magazine Speaker Quotes  GARY MARCUS: “I think we have to be realistic that the number of different ways in which these systems could cause harm is quite large and that some of the specific harms are quite serious”.   JEREMY KAHN: “People might have made similar arguments about the printing press and other technologies, about broadcast technologies when they came along, that these things would somehow obliterate the truth. But it actually expanded the potential of people to express themselves.”   The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.     Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/   To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.     To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/   Senior Producer: Jacob Lewis Editor: Adam Karch  

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.  The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus.   On this week’s edition of the Friday Focus podcast, Janice and Rudyard start the show with a discussion of crises rocking US regional banks as result of the bailout of Silicon Valley Bank. How is the rest of the world reacting to yet another “made in America” financial crisis? How does the bailout effect the so-called “moral hazard” in investing, and does this concept even exist anymore? Friday Focus wraps up with a twin discussion of how Iran and Saudi Arabia have restored diplomatic relations and the appointment of David Johnston to investigate election interference in Canada.   To access full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast, consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Israel is facing its biggest internal confrontation since its founding in 1948. Army reservists are refusing to be called in to serve. Former Mossad chiefs are denouncing the government. Hundreds of thousands of protesters are taking to the streets. And businesses are fleeing the country en masse. What precipitated this conflict? What’s at stake? And can Israel remain a liberal democracy under Benjamin Netanyahu’s extremist coalition and the judicial reforms they are hoping to pass? Vivian Bercovici is the former Canadian ambassador to Israel, and the founder of State of Tel Aviv, a weekly newsletter and podcast focusing on Israel and the Middle East. She joins us from Tel Aviv for a far reaching conversation about how competing visions over Israel’s future could threaten its very existence.   The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.   Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.   To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates.  The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus.   On this week’s edition of the Friday Focus podcast, Janice and Rudyard start the show with a discussion of the ongoing crisis in Israel over proposed sweeping reforms to the country’s high court. What is at the root of the mass public protests over the high court changes? Are we seeing the emergence of deeper, more intractable fault lines in Israeli society coming to the fore? What could this political and possibly soon constitutional crisis mean for the future of Israel as a democracy? Friday Focus wraps up with a discussion of the return of a war of words between Beijing and Washington over the state bilateral relations between the two superpowers. To access full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast, consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

With Nikki Haley entering the fray, The GOP primary contest has officially begun.  Many more candidates are expected to announce here in the coming weeks. But of all the potential challengers, one has emerged as the odds on favorite to defeat the Republican standard bearer Donald Trump.  Current Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis has proven himself a formidable political operator, many in the party elite think that the future of the party belongs in his capable hands.  He is polling very well, he has the support of the establishment, is a fundraising juggernaut, and manages to channel the core of Trumpism in a more moderate and appealing package.  But other political strategists and party faithfuls believe that you underestimate Donald Trump at your own peril. His influencer over rank and file GOP voters is unmatched, and he proved himself to be a force during the 2016 primary. In short, DeSantis may be the future, but Donald Trump is the present.   Arguing for the motion is Senior Fellow in the Governance Studies program as well as the Director of the Center for Effective Public Management at the Brookings Institution.   Arguing against the motion is Republican political strategist and publisher of the neoconservative news and opinion website The Bulwark. Speaker Quotes  ELAINE KAMARCK: “A shtick that seemed fresh and exciting and wonderful in 2016 is likely to not be quite as interesting after a while, when it's the same old thing and when, instead of it being fresh and exciting, it seems a little bit dated and a little bit irritating”.   SARAH LONGWELL: “There's a lot of reasons to think that Ron DeSantis could be ascendent and Donald Trump could be yesterday's news, but I think he holds enough of a real chance that nobody should underestimate him and everybody should treat it with the severity and the concern that it deserves.”. The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.     Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/   To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.     To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/   Senior Producer: Jacob Lewis Editor: Adam Karch