We Already Lost the Power Race to China. Now What?

About this episode

Phillip discusses insights from the Semafor World Economy 2026 event, focusing on the implications of the AI race and its impact on various industries.

"There will be a lot fewer people employed doing existing work in not just insurance, but in all business." Phillip reports from the press pool at Semafor World Economy 2026, where 500 CEOs, a quarter of the US Senate, and 20 G20 finance ministers spent two days in Washington DC sketching out the next decade. Inside: why the AI race is really the electricity race (and why we may have already lost it to China), the $10 trillion and 250 gigawatts Meta says AGI will cost, Senator Mark Kelly on the new commercial space economy, Levi's 50% DTC milestone, Ralph Lauren's experience-economy flex, and why Balzac saw the "exterminator economy" coming 200 years ago. Plus: white smoke from Apple Park.

People in this episode

Host: Phillip

Topics covered

• AI race
• electricity race
• commercial space economy
• direct-to-consumer
• experience economy
• future of work

Keywords

• AI
• China
• Meta
• Senator Mark Kelly
• Levi's
• Ralph Lauren
• Balzac
• future of work
• economy
• Washington DC

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Semafor, Meta, Levi's, Ralph Lauren

Places: Washington DC

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