OECD Podcasts

There are many forces at work splintering the digital public sphere. Automated bots flood the internet with disinformation, creating confusion. Online abuse is another way of shutting down civil dialogue. Seyi Akiwowo is a crusader for a safer cyberspace. She founded Glitch in 2017 after enduring online abuse. www.fixtheglitch.org Host: Clara Young Producer: Robin Allison Davis Get the latest OECD...

Propaganda and disinformation have been around since at least the ancient Romans. Now, false and falsified information spreads rapidly and we have social media platforms and mass messaging systems to thank for that. Hossein Derakhshan, media analyst and co-author of the 2017 report "Information Disorder" published by the Harvard Kennedy School Shorenstein Center, explains how we can counter disinf...

Pandemics, flooding, cyber attack, wildfire. These are just some of the things that threaten our critical infrastructure and supply chains. We’ve engineered these for maximum efficiency and minimum risk. But what about resilience? Igor Linkov is the Risk and Decision Science Focus Area Lead at the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center. He's also an Adjunct Professor of Engineering and P...

Digital assistants, big data, biometric scanning, augmented virtual and mixed reality – all of these things and more are changing how we work. Raphael Gielgen, trend scouter on the future of work at the Swiss design firm, Vitra, talks about how the workplace is keeping up with technology. Host: Clara Young Producer: Robin Allison Davis Get the latest OECD content delivered directly to your inbox!...

The global fight against tax evasion has been one of the major success stories of international co-operation over the past decade, leading to new global transparency standards and more than 100 billion euros in additional revenues for countries worldwide. To mark the 10th anniversary of the Global Forum on Tax Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes, which brings together more th...

In an ideal market economy, there are lots of companies of roughly the same size who compete against each other. Consumers benefit from choice and lower prices. In today's digital economy, however, there are a small number of extremely powerful tech companies, and evidence that competition is not what it should be. Casper Klynge, Denmark's – and the world's – first tech ambassador, explains. Host:...

Pour les jeunes qui construisent leurs projets éducatifs et professionnels, « un réseau , c’est le nerf de la guerre » , affirme Mélanie Taravant. Elle est journaliste, présentatrice de l’émission C à dire sur la chaîne France 5 et fondatrice de Viensvoirmontaf, une association qui permet à des élèves de zone d’éducation prioritaire – qui manquent souvent de réseau – de trouver des stages de 3ème...

According to the The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, we have 11 years to cut carbon emissions by half. And by 2050, carbon emissions must be eliminated. If not, humans will find themselves on an unliveable planet. David Wallace-Wells is the author of the New York Times' Bestseller, "The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming”. He describes for us what the world will be like if we go pa...

Ever wonder what is meant by “human capital”? Then is the episode for you. Join OECD economists, Zuzana Smidova and Jarmila Botev, for an explanation of what human capital is, why it matters, and what we can do to boost human capital, whether as an individual or a country. And to find out even more about human capital and how your country measures up, visit oe.cd/human-capital. Host: Kate Lancaste...

New technologies such as automation and AI are rapidly reshaping our economies and our work. For Stefano Scarpetta, head of the directorate for employment, labour and social affairs at the OECD, these changes aren’t likely to lead to massive, technologically driven unemployment, but rather can bring opportunities if the right policies and support are in place. In order to build an inclusive future...

Until 1984, computer science in the US was full of women mathematicians and programmers, and then it all changed. What happened? Claire L. Evans, author of the book, Broad Band: The Untold Story of Women Who Made the Internet, tells a story that hadn't been told before of the many women who helped found and formed the internet-- women like Ada Lovelace, the original mother of computing, and Dame W...

Trade unions have been out of fashion in the past couple of decades. In 1985, 45% of workers were protected by collective agreements. In 2016, this number fell to 32%. While economies have more or less gone back to pre-crisis levels and unemployment is spectacularly low, wages remain stuck. Are we witnessing trade union revivalism now? Paul Nowak, UK Deputy General Secretary of the Trades Union Co...

Business-as-usual has become a largely unsustainable system. When economics and the financial industry are driven solely by quarterly earnings growth and GDP, the well-being of most people falls by the wayside. The health of our environment and trust between people are also casualties of growth-only economics. Economist Jeffrey Sachs is the director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Col...

When it comes to the jobs of the future, you can’t squeeze people out of the equation, says Ben Pring. An optimist, he believes that what makes us human, our soft skills, will be more valuable than ever. And as machines take on more dirty, dangerous or simply dull tasks, people will be able to do work that is more interesting, engaging and meaningful. Ben Pring is co-founder and leader of the Cogn...

The digital economy is bringing great opportunities for people, but also many risks, says Portugal’s Minister of the Economy, Pedro Siza Vieira. To ensure that everyone benefits from this brave new future of work, we need to build on the social foundations that have worked for decades and make them fit for today. Countries need the right policies in place, from social protections to cover us when...

Matsutake mushroom, a beloved Japanese delicacy, grow in what Anna Tsing calls “human-disturbed” environments. They do well in places that have been intensely logged or farmed, for instance. Which makes them model organisms for adverse conditions. Matsutake mushrooms can also teach us a thing or two about ecology and market economies. Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing is professor of anthropology at the Unive...

Work as we know it will never be the same. In fact, it already isn’t the same for some people. According to the OECD, 14% of jobs in OECD countries are highly automatable – another 32% of jobs could be substantially changed in how they’re carried out. Matthew Taylor discusses some ideas on how to extend the social security net to platform workers and how he thinks the general landscape of employme...

Millions of people around the world suffer—and many die prematurely—because of air pollution. The culprit: fossil fuel burning. It's poisoning the air we breathe and pushing up carbon emissions. Air pollution and climate change are two sides of the same coin: improve the quality of the air we breathe, and that will immediately make us healthier. It will also bring down the carbon and methane emiss...

With real estate markets surging around the world, the affordability of housing is an issue many of us face today, particularly people on low incomes. Ana Bailão, deputy mayor of Toronto, believes that policymakers have a duty to keep housing affordable for all, and outlines the innovative programmes that her city is putting in place, from loans and grants to workforce housing to leasing public la...

Immigrants arrive in their new homes after often long and difficult journeys. Some are coming to study or to join specific employers; others have lost their homes, savings or loved ones. But none come empty-handed, says new Canadian and entrepreneur Tareq Hadhad. They bring their skills, experiences and determination – and a desire to give back. To hear more from Tareq Hadhad, watch our interview...

Entrepreneurs think big. They launch new ideas, create jobs, promote economic development. They also help foster sustainable growth and social inclusion. But is entrepreneurship open to everyone? And can it really serve as a social elevator? Yes, argues says entrepreneur and philanthropist John Hope Bryant – if there is the right culture in place. In this podcast he lays out his plan to build fina...

European Commission anti-trust chief Margrethe Vestager has taken on many a superstar firm, bringing sizeable fines against the likes of Google and Apple. Her philosophy? Ordinary people deserve a fair shake. That means the fair prices and consumer leverage market competition is supposed to ensure. Smart regulation is key but tech giants must step up to the plate and take responsibility. Host: Cla...

In a world where machines can do more and more, what skills and knowledge will today’s children need in order to be prepared for the jobs of tomorrow? The OECD’s Andreas Schleicher says that AI and tech can make our lives and work a lot more rewarding and interesting – if we are prepared. We need to think about how human skills can complement those of machines, rather than try to do what they do....

Technology can be scary - are our digital assistants spying on us? Will robots steal our jobs? Change is challenging, says Sodexo's Belen Moscoso del Prado, but technology itself isn't to blame. How we use technology is what matters - and it can be positive force for people and companies alike. She explains how Sodexo - like many firms today - is adapting to the digital transformation and what thi...

Rapid-fire information, distrust of experts and elites, and acute inequality are just some of the reasons we’re feeling more than thinking our way through important decisions. Like voting. Sociologist and political economist William Davies is the author of Nervous States, How Feeling Took Over the World. He takes us back to the decoupling of reason and emotion in the 17th century, and why we must...