Professor Ian Langford

So we have democracy on the retreat across global systems.

We've seen the return of the strong man.

And sadly, it is gender specific right now when you think about people like Putin and Xi and so forth.

And so how do we protect our democracy and our political system in a world that is under threat?

And when you add on AI, which is all pervasive,

and effectively gives certain individuals the same power and influence in the international system that was previously only the domain of nation states, you can understand how disruptive that is.

So for good or for ill, whether you're Elon Musk or Mark Zuckerberg, or you are a state leader in old Europe or new Asia,

You have the same amount of influence in the international system, which was previously only the domain of nation states.

And that is new.

And I think people like the Prime Minister and the government he leads are grappling with how to deal with these issues in ways that protect our values, but also safeguard our interests.

Well, I think the technology sector more broadly is experiencing its own version of what I call the Wild West.

Whether you're Elon Musk or Mark Zuckerberg, you have the same amount of influence in the international system, which was previously only the domain of nation states.

And that is new.

We've got all the ingredients we need, particularly in the global south, to develop data center and AI technology centers of excellence that could lead the world.

So the world will not wait.

There's no alternate.

We have to do this and we've got to do it as a priority.

We want to be the place to do business for the next hundred years when it comes to these emerging technologies.

Yeah, it's that convergence between the changing global landscape.

So the liberal international order and rules-based system are gone effectively.