Can the rules keep up?: Lawsuits, LLMs and the looming oil recession

Can the rules keep up?: Lawsuits, LLMs and the looming oil recession

May 21, 2026 · 47 min · Season 12 · Episode 50

About this episode

The episode discusses the challenges of adapting laws and institutions to rapidly changing climate and technology landscapes.

An unprecedented government move to outrun the courts. A country racing to write AI into its constitution. And a global energy crisis that's already moved faster than any possible fix. Are our institutions and the rules they rest on still fit for the world they're supposed to protect? This week, Tom Rivett-Carnac, Christiana Figueres, and Paul Dickinson look at three stories the headlines may be missing. In New Zealand, the government has moved to retroactively kill a landmark climate lawsuit -  before it even reaches trial. Tom shares a voice note from ClientEarth CEO Laura Clarke who gives us the inside scoop on what is actually at stake. If this works, where does it end? Then Greece, which wants to write a legally binding obligation for human-centred AI into its constitution. But can a national document meaningfully govern a borderless technology? And as we increasingly rely on AI for our information, where do these large language models actually go for their climate science? Finally, the Strait of Hormuz. Financial markets think the situation is priced in. Geopolitical analysts disagree. We ask which sectors might unexpectedly accelerate the energy transition, why the…

People in this episode

Hosts: Tom Rivett-Carnac, Christiana Figueres, Paul Dickinson

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: ClientEarth

Places: New Zealand, Greece, Strait of Hormuz

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