To open Season 14 of Age of AI, and to mark the podcast’s 5-year anniversary, we are joined by Dr. Valerie Hudson for a wide-ranging conversation on AI, governance, and the future of political order. Drawing on her decades of work at the intersection of international relations and emerging technology, Dr. Hudson reflects on how we arrived at this moment, the risks of concentrated technological power, and what a more democratic future for AI might require.

Links:

The Oxford Handbook of AI Governance
Opinion: The reckoning that came for social media will come for AI and prediction markets, too
Opinion: Our tech lords have plans for us, and they’re chilling
Opinion: The irony of Anthropic’s stand
Perspective: Both Democrats and Republicans oppose a ban on state AI regulation. Why is it still being considered?
An Avoidable Apocalypse
Artificial Intelligence And International Politics

Special Announcement: the AI Ethics and Governance Institute is organizing the AI Law & Governance Conference (ALGO 2026), an immersive executive program taking place September 8-10, 2026, in Istanbul, Turkey. Organized in collaboration with two leading AI law firms, Kirton/McConkie and Clarion AI Partners, the program is designed for lawyers, corporate governance officials, government officials, and graduate students. For more information, please visit the AI Ethics and Governance Institute website: aegixinstitute.org