Business Daily

Lily Jamali, the BBC’s Silicon Valley correspondent, examines Google’s mounting challenges. Why is slowing search advertising rattling investors? Could ChatGPT and conversational AI undermine the clicks that power Google’s business? The discussion explores Alphabet’s costly AI arms race, rising spending and layoffs across tech, and whether Google can reinvent itself before its search crown slips.

Dan Ives, a leading technology analyst at Wedbush, and Katrine Kielos, a London-based economics journalist, explore Anthropic’s potential mega-IPO and the economics of the AI boom. They examine US midterm politics amid a divided economy, debate Oxford Street’s retail revival and Apple’s next AI move, then turn their fire on the excesses of pumpkin spice.

Meta’s billions of daily users and ad empire are fueling an ambitious transformation into an AI powerhouse. Explore its push into personal superintelligence, smart glasses and AI assistants, alongside the staggering costs of data centres and chips. Legal scrutiny, privacy concerns and the challenge of earning trust could determine whether Meta’s vast reach becomes its greatest advantage or liability.

Gael Martinez, a French trade union representative, champions wages and public services. Fabrice Le Sache, a business leader and MEDEF spokesperson, warns unrest and tax uncertainty are hurting investment. Economist Thomas Michalski weighs the fiscal choices ahead. They discuss France’s debt, living standards, pensions, healthcare, taxation, austerity and the struggle to balance social protection with economic growth.

Seijiro Takeshita, a Japanese finance scholar and former Mizuho executive, examines Japan’s shift from decades of free borrowing. BBC journalist Gideon Long reports on banks widening lending margins while savers lag behind. Homeowner Noriko Sakai weighs rising mortgage costs and refinancing. They explore the weak yen, cash-heavy households, overseas investing and who benefits most as rates rise.

Desmond Shum, a former Chinese property developer turned corruption critic, and Michael Pettis, a Peking University economist, explore China’s export boom amid struggling consumers. They discuss weak jobs, gig work, household spending, subsidies, industrial overcapacity, and rising trade tensions with Europe. The conversation also examines China’s reliance on exports and debt, and whether it faces stagnation or crisis.

Takara Small, a Toronto-based technology journalist, and Trevor Simumba, a Zambian economist and business consultant, examine France’s protests and their toll on small businesses, Alberta’s referendum and political frustrations, and Netflix’s changing fortunes. They also explore cybersecurity, global debt and energy pressures, shifting viewing habits in Africa, and the power, water and financial risks surrounding AI data centres.

Simon Gallagher, a former Netflix content executive and Hulu strategy director, examines whether the streaming giant has hit a wall. He explores slowing growth, weak advertising revenue, the risks of a Warner deal and YouTube’s rise on television screens. They also discuss live sports, theatrical films, creator content and whether Netflix needs another disruptive move.

Tessa Clarke, British entrepreneur and co-founder of Olio, turned a moving-day dilemma into a global food-sharing platform. She discusses her farming roots, building a purpose-driven business, raising $50 million amid investor bias, and lessons from scaling too fast. The conversation explores making food waste socially unacceptable and whether changing everyday behaviour can help tackle climate change.

Magali van Bulck, a Wise policy executive specialising in international money transfers, examines the hidden costs of sending money abroad. Follow a housekeeper’s payment from London to the Philippines, where exchange-rate markups, provider fees and digital platforms shape who profits. The story explores migrant families’ dependence on remittances, the Philippines’ migration policy and the sacrifices behind a $900 billion global flow.