Ways to Change the World with Krishnan Guru-Murthy

Euan Blair, founder and CEO of Multiverse and advocate for vocational learning, argues for rebalancing education toward applied skills as AI reshapes work. He discusses reviving apprenticeships, training for AI oversight and lifelong upskilling, and redesigning schools and funding to make workplace learning accessible and relevant.

Binaifer Nowrojee, an international human rights lawyer and president of the Open Society Foundations, reflects on threats to democracy and human dignity. She discusses backlash against women in politics, how philanthropy and civil society are adapting, changing language and institutions of human rights, Gaza’s implications for international norms, and why progress is often non-linear but worth defending.

Jonathan Haidt, social psychologist and author of The Anxious Generation, explains how social media reshaped childhood and youth mental health. He discusses rising anxiety, why girls and boys are affected differently, the displacement of play by phones, attention fragmentation from TikTok-style feeds, and policy fixes like age limits and design changes to reclaim kids' attention.

Carlo Rovelli, theoretical physicist and bestselling author known for work on quantum gravity, warns we may be sleepwalking into nuclear catastrophe. He talks about rising rearmament, how fear fuels arms races, the breakdown of Cold War deterrence, and why AI and automation could make accidental nuclear escalation more likely.

Ben Rhodes, former White House speechwriter and deputy national security adviser, reflects on shaping Obama-era messaging. He discusses how the American cult of success enabled figures like Trump and Musk. He explores whether speeches still matter in the social media age. He examines populism, race and identity, the Iran deal, and what political storytelling Democrats need next.

James Graham, playwright and screenwriter behind Dear England and Sherwood, reflects on national identity, culture and rebuilding social bonds. He discusses mass civic renewal, restoring public spaces and rituals, the role of shared events like the World Cup, class barriers in the arts, inclusive leadership lessons from Gareth Southgate, and risks from AI and shrinking cultural institutions.

Maoz Inon, an Israeli tourism entrepreneur who lost his parents on October 7, and Aziz Abu Sarah, a Palestinian peacebuilder who lost his brother, form an unlikely friendship rooted in empathy. They discuss choosing forgiveness over revenge, how personal trauma shaped their activism, the work of building shared narratives and political will, and practical steps toward reconciliation and momentum for peace.

In this episode of Ways to Change the World, Krishnan Guru-Murthy speaks to Kimberlé Crenshaw, one of the most influential thinkers on race who coined the term intersectionality. Crenshaw has spent decades challenging how we understand inequality — and why it persists today.Crenshaw’s new memoir, Backtalker, is a blunt origin story of the lived experiences that shaped her work - from childhood moments of exclusion to confronting discrimination at Harvard, and the early instincts that led her to question power.The conversation explores the growing backlash against her ideas, from political attacks on critical race theory to efforts to erase or distort the language of inequality. Crenshaw argues that this is not just a cultural debate, but a fight over history, truth and democracy itself.Her solution is as simple as it is risky: talk back.

Karen Hao, author and journalist who exposes the social and political forces shaping AI. She traces how a handful of firms chase dominance, the resource and labor extraction behind large models, and the mythmaking that makes AI seem inevitable. Conversations explore industry motives, grassroots resistance, and how democracy and dignity might reclaim technology’s direction.

Naz Shah, MP for Bradford West and author who overcame poverty, abuse and forced marriage. She discusses how honour and shame shaped women’s lives. Short, powerful takes on education as a life-changer, how structures trap people in poverty, sexual exploitation, coerced marriage, campaigning for her mother’s justice, and balancing community pride with the need for reform.