Parmy Olson, AI expert: Who controls the future?

Parmy Olson, AI expert: Who controls the future?

From The Interview by BBC World Service

April 7, 2026 · 23 min

About this episode

Parmy Olson discusses the influence of AI companies on politics and the challenges of government regulation.

“These companies don't really care what governments do. Their priority is their shareholders, their own existence and the next quarter of growth. There is the possibility that governments can regulate them, but they just don't. They don't regulate them properly. The most they get are multi-billion dollar fines, which sounds like a lot, but actually in the grand scheme of things it's pocket change. It is a parking ticket for these companies.” Misha Glenny speaks to technology writer Parmy Olson about artifical intelligence, power and politics. As AI rapidly reshapes economies and societies, Parmy has been tracking the growing power of the companies driving this technological revolution. With tech giants now valued in the trillions, she also questions whether governments are equipped to regulate them effectively, or if their influence has already outpaced political control. The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC, including episodes with Google boss Sundar Pichai and Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI. You can listen on the BBC World Service on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 0800 GMT. Or…

People in this episode

Host: Misha Glenny

Guest: Parmy Olson

Topics covered

  • artificial intelligence
  • technology
  • government regulation
  • corporate power
  • politics
  • economy

Keywords

  • AI
  • government regulation
  • corporate influence
  • technology
  • politics
  • Misha Glenny

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BBC World Service, Google, Microsoft

More episodes of The Interview

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Interview podcast page.