The Mishal Husain Show

Author Jon Ronson has spent years focusing on the unusual people and societal undercurrents of our changing world. He has written a series of bestselling books featuring extremists, conspiracy theorists and psychopaths. The Men Who Stare at Goats was made into a film starring George Clooney, and his popular culture war podcast, Things Fell Apart, is returning next year for its third season. In this conversation with Mishal Husain, Ronson discusses his latest book, The Castle, which features men struggling to find purpose amid economic, social and political upheaval. He also shares his own experience with male vulnerability and reflects on artificial intelligence and the shifting nature of the media. Contact The Mishal Husain Show [email protected] Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chinese artificial intelligence companies are rapidly closing the gap with their American rivals despite years of US restrictions on advanced chips. But the race between the world’s two AI superpowers is part of a much bigger transformation, says China AI pioneer and investor Kai-Fu Lee: one that’s upending companies, jobs and even how people think about work. Few have watched this historic moment unfold from as many vantage points as Lee, who has worked at Apple and led Microsoft and Google teams in China. In this interview with Mishal Husain, he talks about what the future might look like and how he uses AI everyday. Contact The Mishal Husain Show [email protected] Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The writer Colm Tóibín knows something about leaving home. As a young man living in Spain, he discovered a freedom he hadn’t known growing up in Ireland. Later, he would settle in America. Tóibín’s latest books revisit these journeys. The Bridge is set in the remote regions of Spain that first captivated him, while The News From Dublin includes a short story about an undocumented Irish immigrant preparing to leave the US as Donald Trump is re-elected. In this conversation with Mishal Husain, Tóibín talks about the places that have shaped him, the unusual process behind his writing and what might eventually make him leave America. Contact The Mishal Husain Show [email protected] Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been 25 years since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and the US-led invasion of Afghanistan that brought Hamid Karzai, then a little-known tribal leader, to power. Two decades later, Karzai witnessed the chaotic withdrawal of American forces as the Taliban swept back into Kabul in 2021. While many people left Afghanistan, he chose to stay. Today, Karzai lives under virtual house arrest and rarely gives interviews. He says his eldest daughter, like all girls over the age of 12,  is no longer able to go to school. In this conversation with Mishal Husain, he explains why he won’t send his daughters to be educated overseas, and why he remains hopeful for the future of his country. Contact The Mishal Husain Show [email protected] Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Grammy award winning musician, tech CEO and college professor will.i.am says he believes in the power of artificial intelligence to assist human creativity. He tells Mishal Husain why his attitude toward technology is different from that of many other creatives.The founding member of Black Eyed Peas also discusses why there should be different ways for platforms to recognize music created solely by humans, and a system that protects identity and likeness. Ultimately, will.i.am says human performance will always survive.  They also talk about the song “Where Is The Love?”and what it means to him, and how the song has helped him teach students at Arizona State University. Contact The Mishal Husain Show [email protected] Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Illustration: Uli Knörzer for Bloomberg; Source Photo: Sterling Hampton IVSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.