Opinion (102)
11:00 4 mins read
Why AI won’t kill the creative class
Used right, the technology can unleash human creativity rather than destroy it The writer is a professor at Vanderbilt University, a fellow of the Kresge Found...
10:59 3 mins read
A tale of two possums
In Australia the marsupials are treated with reverence, while in New Zealand they are being turned into ponchos When I was eight years old my father called me...
10:59 4 mins read
Britain, Brexit and the cat-flap option
The political, strategic and economic momentum for a reversal of Brexit is growing “Come all the way back.” That was Roland Lescure, France’s finance minister,...
04:00 4 mins read
There is a smarter way to tax the rich
Increasing US corporate tax raises government revenues without harming the tax base The writer is the Eric M Zolt professor of tax law and policy at the UCLA S...
04:00 4 mins read
The huge lurking leverage of AI hyperscalers
While equity investors look to sunny futures, creditors are scrutinising liabilities like leases on data centres The writer is a bond portfolio manager at Bark...
00:00 4 mins read
Europe can fight the ‘China shock’
But it requires Brussels to prioritise creative destruction over protectionism This article is an on-site version of the Free Lunch newsletter. Premium subscri...
00:00 3 mins read
The collective global duty to safeguard time
World powers need to agree on standardisation crucial for infrastructure and space travel Who should decide what time it is on the Moon? That is the question f...
23:01 4 mins read
How to pay for social care
Automatic enrolment worked for pensions — a similar scheme could pool the risk of heavy costs from illness and infirmity in later life The writer is a partner...
00:00 4 mins read
The world of one trade — AI
Investor portfolios have become alarmingly reliant on the fortunes of just one bet on the build-out of an uncertain technology AI was the hot new investment th...
00:00 2 mins read
Chart of the Week: The US productivity-pay gap
Workers’ share of output is shrinking This article is an on-site version of our Unhedged: Chart of the Week newsletter. You sign up here to get the newsletter...
00:00 4 mins read
The problem with your AI therapist
Millions are turning to chatbots for help with mental health but a technology that can’t go beyond words won’t heal them You may have noticed some intriguing n...
00:00 3 mins read
What if AI prefers CVs written by AI?
The signs are that it does and one law firm’s experience is revealing Earlier this year, in the depths of summer, the Addleshaw Goddard law firm found itself i...
00:00 4 mins read
Democrats need a foreign policy
Trump’s approach to the world has left Republicans floundering as the midterms approach. Liberals should plan their own strategy now Foreign policy issues aren...
00:00 4 mins read
Is my dog a racist?
Labradors were recently singled out as belonging to a nostalgic ‘far-right fantasy’. But all owners need to be vigilant It’s a worry, isn’t it? You thought you...
00:00 4 mins read
A very German spy scandal
The latest example of the genre involves a retired 80-year-old top spook and the foreign intelligence agency’s chief of staff The writer directs the Center on...
00:00 3 mins read
Trump and Hegseth’s execution-type deal
The decision to livestream the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan is a sign of profound moral decay A raucous crowd of 20,000 gathered in Owensboro, Kentucky in 19...
00:00 3 mins read
Our 1990s nostalgia is far too rose-tinted
It’s flattering to believe your generation could have been effortlessly cool. Spoiler alert: most of us were not The writer is an academic, critic and broadcas...
00:00 2 mins read
Why OpenAI’s revenue numbers really matter
Vague figures may lay the groundwork for inflated valuations when much-hyped companies finally go public OpenAI claimed this week that it had solved hundreds o...
00:00 3 mins read
Don’t panic about the plague
While the chances of a lab accident triggering an epidemic are virtually zero, the disease remains an active threat in many parts of the world The writer is a...
00:00 4 mins read
The danger of pessimism fatigue
Too many have cried wolf about too many things and the public is now perilously nonchalant Dinner at Legado. It has been open for more than a year, so should b...
00:00 4 mins read
Are you stuck in linguistic limbo?
For the jargon of a digitally minded profession, journalese is still strangely anchored in the past This week I received a glossary of terms from the managing...
00:00 8 mins read
Whatever happened to big, boozy wine?
For decades, wines grew more potent as hotter summers met a taste for strong, ripe flavours. Now drinkers want freshness without sacrificing character — and win...
00:00 4 mins read
The narrow Tory path to power
We are now going to see a fight to the death on the right — which the Conservatives may yet lose First, get a hearing. Since the Conservatives lost the general...
00:00 4 mins read
There’s nothing wrong with being a food snob
I’ll eat cheap white bread, greasy-spoon sausages and microwave-baked potatoes. But caring about provenance, quality and how our food is produced shouldn’t be d...
00:00 4 mins read
The wisdom of prediction markets
Trades can contain valuable cues for businesspeople and investors The writer is head of consilient research at Counterpoint Global, Morgan Stanley Investment M...
00:00 4 mins read
Badenoch’s punchy plan to reunite the right
It was just a speech, but the Tory leader’s rejection of Reform reveals a new and determined strategy Tough on Reform. Tough on the causes of Reform. After two...
00:00 3 mins read
Cyber war won’t be the same in the age of AI
The old Russian maskirovka doctrine doesn’t apply when non-human agents create uncertainty for both attackers and defenders The writer is the author of Full St...
00:00 5 mins read
Hedge funds as systemic risks
And another word on inflation-linked bonds This article is an on-site version of our Unhedged newsletter. Premium subscribers can sign up here to get the newsl...
00:00 4 mins read
Big Tech sets out its pitches on AI agents
Race to develop new services has moved into high gear with a series of launches In the years before the iPhone, there was general agreement in the tech world t...
00:00 6 mins read
Daisies to light up an October garden
A Malvern garden is inspiration for the autumnal brightness of asters — but watch out for mildew, slugs and overcrowding During the persistent heat and drought...
00:00 4 mins read
Some much-needed American optimism on Europe
Siloed national markets, anti-competitive culture and low investment have stunted growth — but the opportunity is there Even casual observers of equity markets...
00:00 3 mins read
Five things Kemi Badenoch must do to win
While Tory leader’s popularity is clear, she must still neutralise areas of weakness and move closer to the Labour government This article is an on-site versio...
00:00 4 mins read
What is the real price of oil any more?
Crude futures are no longer a reliable guide to the inflationary impact of fuel prices The writer is director of market intelligence and co-founder at Energy A...
00:00 4 mins read
Kemi Badenoch’s European nightmare
The biggest threat to this potential prime minister is that she defends an unpopular hard Brexit A while ago, this column advised readers to bet on the Conserv...
00:00 4 mins read
What is the real price of oil?
Crude futures are no longer a reliable guide to the inflationary impact of fuel prices The writer is director of market intelligence and co-founder at Energy A...
00:00 3 mins read
Norway lays down a line for EU on AI glasses
Proposed ban will be test case for broad restrictions on the eyewear after fierce backlash over their use “Pervert glasses” that enable privacy intrusion or on...
00:00 6 mins read
Tips and Linkers
Not as safe as they seem This article is an on-site version of our Unhedged newsletter. Premium subscribers can sign up here to get the newsletter delivered ev...
00:00 4 mins read
Real men don’t do climate change
Research on the gender differences in how people think about global warming suggests campaigns and communications may need a rethink If you are a man who cares...
00:00 8 mins read
Why are bond yields so high?
An attempt to shed some light on the big question of 2026 This article is an on-site version of our Chris Giles on Central Banks newsletter. Premium subscriber...
00:00 4 mins read
We should call time on the ‘end times’
Narratives of looming apocalypse are a sign that something has gone seriously wrong with our politics The writer is professor of intellectual history at the Eu...
00:00 3 mins read
Tribology makes the economic world go round
The science of friction and wear plays a central role in making industry run more smoothly The writer is a science commentator In the early 1960s, just after...
00:00 5 mins read
How AI tempts the lazy mind
The real risk of generative artificial intelligence is not that we will trust it completely, but that we will stop caring enough to check A few months ago, Jac...
00:00 5 mins read
Neat tricks to help French bonds
And why they won’t work This article is an on-site version of our Unhedged newsletter. Premium subscribers can sign up here to get the newsletter delivered eve...
00:00 3 mins read
Pedro Sánchez’s big electoral gamble
Opinion polls suggest it may be the last for the Spanish prime minister Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has made a career out of high-stakes gambles. His...
00:00 3 mins read
Latino Americans are the real swing voters
The ‘moveable middle’ who remain undecided could be unusually influential in next month’s midterm elections The writer is a contributing columnist Over 5mn La...
00:00 4 mins read
Putin’s nuclear threats no longer work
The weakening of Russian deterrence has global implications — and they are not all positive Russia has the largest nuclear arsenal in the world — and it wants...
00:00 3 mins read
The dangerous myth behind AI agent hacks
These are not simply cyber security flaws but problems with the way that models are trained The writer is professor of computer science at the Université de Mo...
00:00 4 mins read
Andy Burnham’s Manchester City problem
The prime minister’s economic vision looks dangerously like a game of two halves The fact that Manchester City have been found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges...
00:00 4 mins read
How AI could scupper the dollar
Things are fine until they’re not Good morning. I just spent a very pleasant weekend in Rennes, France — beautiful buildings, amazing food markets, good vibes,...
00:00 4 mins read
How to dress like a man
As the way men and women dress overlaps, where does that leave the idea of a ‘manly’ aesthetic? Is there such a thing as masculine style? In one sense the answ...
00:00 2 mins read
Why accountancy firm listings don’t add up
Private equity’s role in consolidating the sector is raising the stakes, making partnerships less sustainable Accountants should be whizzes at working out how...
00:00 4 mins read
The politics of losing sleep
There is still a class divide when it comes to work that tramples over your body clock In the 1920s, a pair of sociologists set out to study “the interwoven tr...