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/