Friday Focus: Trump tilts the war in Putin's favour and the growing threat of rogue AI
Rudyard and Janice begin today’s show with Russia and Ukraine exchanging strikes following a brief, Trump-brokered energy ceasefire that lasted just 48 hours. Is Zelensky’s open defiance of Trump connected to Starlink being shut off in Ukraine and a series of Russian ballistic missile strikes launched without warning? The Trump administration appears to be ratcheting up pressure on Kyiv, punishing Ukraine while Putin faces few consequences for violating the president’s truce. Is Trump trying to weaken Zelensky and force him into concessions that would give Putin enough of a “win” to end the war? As devastating as the prospect of concessions may be, is ending this prolonged and deadly conflict ultimately the better outcome? In the second half of the show, Rudyard and Janice turn to AI and the growing threat of cyberattacks powered by AI models that can infiltrate internet-connected devices and potentially spawn autonomous, malicious AI agents. Why aren’t governments stepping in? We find ourselves in a strange moment of powerlessness, waiting for an AI-driven disaster to strike. And it may be the next generation that pays the highest price. Become a Munk Donor ($50 annually) to get 72-hour advanced access to the full length editions of Friday Focus and Munk Dialogues. Go to www.munkdebates.com to sign up. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.