Energy - the AI Achille's Heel

Energy - the AI Achille's Heel

From Debunking Economics - the podcast by Steve Keen & Phil Dobbie

April 14, 2026 · 40 min · Season 1 · Episode 502

About this episode

Phil Dobbie and Professor Steve Keen discuss the challenges posed by the global energy crisis in relation to the demands of the AI revolution.

In this episode of the Debunking Economics podcast, Phil Dobbie and Professor Steve Keen explore the precarious intersection of the ongoing global energy crisis and the massive resource demands of the AI revolution. The conversation traverses a landscape of geopolitical instability—from Iranian influence in the Strait of Hormuz to the vulnerabilities of Western microchip manufacturing—while questioning whether the "AI promise" can survive a world of dwindling energy supplies and extreme inequality. Professor Keen offers a provocative comparison between the disruptive force of political volatility and the impending reality of global warming, arguing that without a fundamental shift toward collective economic stability and energy self-sufficiency, the high-tech future envisioned by "Tech Bros" may be sidelined by the urgent requirements of human survival. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Phil Dobbie

Guest: Professor Steve Keen

Topics covered

  • energy crisis
  • AI
  • geopolitical instability
  • economic stability
  • resource demands
  • inequality

Keywords

  • energy crisis
  • AI revolution
  • geopolitical instability
  • economic stability
  • global warming

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Western microchip manufacturing

Places: Strait of Hormuz

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