Democratic governments that fail to address cost of living pressures can fuel the rise of anti-democratic forces, says Isabella Weber, Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

The author of new book Anti-Fascist Economics describes the economic policies she says can ward off extremism.

Podcast host: Robin Pomeroy. Interviewer: John Letzing.

Links:

Anti-Fascist Economics: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/476377/anti-fascist-economics-by-weber-isabella/9780241796757

Related podcasts:

Nobel Laureate Daron Acemoglu: AI Could Widen Inequality. Here's How to Get AI Right: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/damon-acemoglu-economics-ai-democracy

The world really is more unpredictable than ever - two 'chief risk officers' explain why: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/risk-management-volkswagen-wto

Chief Economists Outlook: what bond yields and interest rates tell us about the global economy: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/chief-economists-outlook-gregory-daco-ey

Demand for electricity is soaring: how can our power systems keep up?: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/ai-data-centres-varun-sivaram-future-of-power-systems

Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts

Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164

Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560

Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552

How we develop and use AI will either strengthen prosperity or deepen inequality, argues Nobel Prize-winning economist Daron Acemoglu. Today's choices could even put democracy under greater strain.

In a special conversation, he shares insights collected in his latest book, What Happened to Liberal Democracy? Remaking a Politics of Shared Prosperity, breaking down:

- The forces weakening community and prosperity - and the growing divide between college-educated and non-college educated workers

- His concept of "pro-worker AI" (models that expand human capabilities, rather than just replace them) and the potential impact on prosperity and economies

- The institutional choices that will have the biggest impact – and the key economic metric to watch in the years ahead

Subscribe to Radio Davos for more conversations on the biggest forces shaping tech and economies.

Links:

Book: What Happened to Liberal Democracy? Remaking a Politics of Shared Prosperity: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/815318/what-happened-to-liberal-democracy-by-daron-acemoglu/

Daron Acemoglu: https://economics.mit.edu/people/faculty/daron-acemoglu

Related episodes:

What I tell my Stern Business School students on how to thrive in the age of AI

• Watch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waYzMBSQuPo&list=PL7m903CwFUgmx14a5qRTlRdG5WeQDB7Hl&index=6

• Listen here - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5sMqRcPLWfK5jz56xZ73Di?si=9eEVUcJWSe2SWjk_oC4Sow

• Read here - Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/arun-sundararajan-ai-jobs-skills-education

AI's real impact on jobs - what it means for you, your company and future generations

• Watch here - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAtp6z1Dh5g&list=PL7m903CwFUgmx14a5qRTlRdG5WeQDB7Hl&index=8

• Listen here - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6wL0J7IIXoQ3q14Zq63A0C

• Read here - Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/ai-jobs-education-cognizant

Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts

Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164

Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560

Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552

You're not imagining it: the world really is more unpredictable than it used to be. That's the opinion of the chief risk officers at carmaker Volkswagen and the World Trade Organisation, who join us on Radio Davos to discuss how we can best confront the ever more complex risk landscape.

Geopolitics, supply chains, disinformation and artificial intelligence are among the headline risks that are increasingly interlinked and therefore harder to predict, the risk officers say - but they are both optimistic about our ability to cope.

This episode was recorded live on Thursday, 8 October in front of an online audience as part of the World Economic Forum's Strategic Intelligence programme of content available exclusively to Forum partners and digital members.

To become a digital member: https://www.weforum.org/join-us/individuals/

Hosts:

Robin Pomeroy, head of podcasts, World Economic Forum

Mitali Chatterjee, Manager, Global Risks, World Economic Forum

Guests:

Natasha Fields, Chief Ethics, Risk and Compliance Officer, World Trade Organization

Torben Oeder, Chief Risk officer, Volkswagen AG

Links:

Risk Management, Reimagined: https://www.weforum.org/publications/risk-management-reimagined-outlook-to-2035/

The Global Risks Report 2026: https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-risks-report-2026/

Related episodes:

Top global risks in 2026 and how the Davos 'spirit of dialogue' can help us face them: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/global-risks-report-2026/

From 'polycrisis' to 'polytunity' - the future of geopolitics with Prof Yuen Yuen Ang: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/polytunity-geopolitics-cna-corresponent-yuen-yuen-ang/

The Hormuz shock, AI and China: the state of global energy, with Jason Bordoff: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/amnc26-energy-china-hormuz-oil-gas-renewables-bordoff/

The green revolution is unstoppable: Adam Tooze on "the single most dramatic story in the history of energy": https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/adam-tooze-china-trade-energy-climate-pandemics/

Chief Economists Outlook: what bond yields and interest rates tell us about the global economy: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/chief-economists-outlook-gregory-daco-ey/

"Everything has changed" - Gita Gopinath on the global economy in 2026: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/gita-gopinath-global-economy-2026/

Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts

Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164

Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560

Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552