Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Why do some empires grow and others collapse? Is collapse inevitable, or can the goalposts move at the rate of experimentation? And is data collection or artificial intelligence the final frontier? Either way, progress isn’t linear; rules and regulations are both the strengths and weaknesses of today’s evolving empires.
We may or may not be seeing a new iteration of the computer revolution. Paul and Vass are joined by Carl Benedikt Frey: economist, author and Dieter Schwarz Associate Professor of AI & Work at the Oxford Internet Institute, in this episode of Policy Prompt. They explore what pushes progress in a nation, how AI differs from previous technological breakthroughs, and how room to grow is dependent on room to experiment.
Mentioned:
• Decentralization: Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decentralization)
• Comparison of the electric vehicle industry in China and the US: ResearchGate (researchgate.net/publication/381564542_Comparison_Of_the_Electric_Vehicle_Industry_in_China_and_The_United_States_-_In_Terms_of_Sales_Volume_Policies_And_Technology)
• Anti-trust laws: Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_antitrust_law)
• Exposure: NIST (csrc.nist.gov/glossary/term/exposure)
• Harmonization of standards: Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmonization_(standards))
• Some Simple Economics of AGI: arXiv (arxiv.org/abs/2602.20946)
Further Reading:
• Carl Benedikt Frey bio: Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Benedikt_Frey)
• How Progress Ends: Technology, Innovation, and the Fate of Nations (Princeton University Press, 2025): Princeton University Press (https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691233079/how-progress-ends?srsltid=AfmBOooaD9B-_bJg8VBCLQI4CIuk3xw_4ozYKFnyOdMf7Q-tyriOysBY)
Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our supervising producer is Tim Lewis, with technical production by Henry Daemen and Luke McKee. Show notes are prepared by Rebecca MacIntyre, Libza Manna and Isabel Neufeld, who also handles social media engagement, brand design and episode artwork by Abhilasha Dewan and Sami Chouhdary, with creative direction from Som Tsoi.
Original music by Joshua Snethlage.
Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.
Be sure to follow us on social media.
• X: @_policyprompt (https://x.com/_policyprompt)
• IG: @cigionline (instagram.com/cigionline/?hl=en)
Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt on all major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io (mailto:info@policyprompt.io)
CENTRE FOR INTERNATIONAL GOVERNANCE INNOVATION
Why do some empires grow and others collapse? Is collapse inevitable, or can the goalposts move at the rate of experimentation? And is data collection or artificial intelligence the final frontier? Either way, progress isn’t linear; rules and regulations are both the strengths and weaknesses of today’s evolving empires.
We may or may not be seeing a new iteration of the computer revolution. Paul and Vass are joined by Carl Benedikt Frey: economist, author and Dieter Schwarz Associate Professor of AI & Work at the Oxford Internet Institute, in this episode of Policy Prompt. They explore what pushes progress in a nation, how AI differs from previous technological breakthroughs, and how room to grow is dependent on room to experiment.
Mentioned:
• Decentralization: Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decentralization)
• Comparison of the electric vehicle industry in China and the US: ResearchGate (researchgate.net/publication/381564542_Comparison_Of_the_Electric_Vehicle_Industry_in_China_and_The_United_States_-_In_Terms_of_Sales_Volume_Policies_And_Technology)
• Anti-trust laws: Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_antitrust_law)
• Exposure: NIST (csrc.nist.gov/glossary/term/exposure)
• Harmonization of standards: Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmonization_(standards))
• Some Simple Economics of AGI: arXiv (arxiv.org/abs/2602.20946)
Further Reading:
• Carl Benedikt Frey bio: Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Benedikt_Frey)
• How Progress Ends: Technology, Innovation, and the Fate of Nations (Princeton University Press, 2025): Princeton University Press (https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691233079/how-progress-ends?srsltid=AfmBOooaD9B-_bJg8VBCLQI4CIuk3xw_4ozYKFnyOdMf7Q-tyriOysBY)
Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our supervising producer is Tim Lewis, with technical production by Henry Daemen and Luke McKee. Show notes are prepared by Rebecca MacIntyre, Libza Manna and Isabel Neufeld, who also handles social media engagement, brand design and episode artwork by Abhilasha Dewan and Sami Chouhdary, with creative direction from Som Tsoi.
Original music by Joshua Snethlage.
Sound mix and mastering by François Goudreault.
Be sure to follow us on social media.
• X: @_policyprompt (https://x.com/_policyprompt)
• IG: @cigionline (instagram.com/cigionline/?hl=en)
Listen to new episodes of Policy Prompt on all major podcast platforms. Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach out to CIGI’s Policy Prompt team at info@policyprompt.io (mailto:info@policyprompt.io)
CENTRE FOR INTERNATIONAL GOVERNANCE INNOVATION
