Samo Burja on Growth, Energy, and AI

About this episode

Theo Jaffee interviews Samo Burja about the implications of AI on industrial expansion and economic growth.

Theo Jaffee speaks with Samo Burja, founder of Bismarck Analysis, about AI, industrial capacity, economic growth, and the institutions that shape civilization. The conversation explores how AI’s demand for compute, energy, and infrastructure could trigger a new wave of industrial expansion, benefiting sectors far beyond technology. Burja argues that AI is not just a software story but a demand shock that will ripple through energy, manufacturing, construction, and global supply chains. They also discuss China and the United States, demographic decline, fertility, state capacity, welfare systems, and the political economy of automation. Along the way, Burja shares his views on functional institutions, economic growth, and why societies that can effectively organize people and resources may have an enduring advantage in the AI era.

People in this episode

Host: Theo Jaffee

Guest: Samo Burja

Topics covered

• AI
• economic growth
• industrial capacity
• energy
• political economy
• automation

Keywords

• AI
• industrial expansion
• energy demand
• economic growth
• global supply chains
• political economy
• automation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Bismarck Analysis

Places: China, United States

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