The MOST Important Thing

Will artificial intelligence transform economic growth—or are expectations running far ahead of reality? And what does the rise of AI mean for graduates, white-collar professionals and the future of work? In Part 2 of his conversation with Dr Alan O’Sullivan, renowned economist and Northwestern University professor Robert J. Gordon challenges predictions of limitless AI-driven growth. He explains why many human-centred and physical jobs remain difficult to automate, while roles involving comp...

Is gold the ultimate portfolio insurance — or has its extraordinary rise made it too risky? And could a changing global monetary order reshape how we invest? In this episode of The MOST Important Thing, Dr Alan O’Sullivan and Ivan Yates examine gold’s role in a diversified portfolio, the central-bank buying driving demand and the question of trust in the US dollar. They also discuss silver, copper, uranium, oil and other real assets, before weighing the opportunities and risks of Bitcoin. Dra...

Professor Robert J. Gordon, one of the world’s leading economists on productivity and long-run economic growth, joins Alan O’Sullivan to examine why the extraordinary gains of the past two centuries may be becoming harder to repeat. In Part 1, Gordon explains the difference between economic growth and productivity, traces the three major industrial revolutions, and discusses why the period from 1920 to 1970 delivered such exceptional productivity growth. He also revisits the central thesis of...

In Episode 2 of The Long & Short, Ivan Yates and Dr. Alan O'Sullivan examine three of the major forces shaping economies, markets and long-term investment decisions: debt, demographics and sustainability. The discussion moves from the global sustainability challenge and the renewed debate around nuclear energy to rising government debt and the consequences of increasingly heavy debt burdens. Ivan and Alan also explore what could happen if confidence in sovereign debt is tested and why the...

In this special episode of The Most Important Thing, the roles are reversed as Alan O’Sullivan sits down with Ivan Yates following the release of his new book, The Game of Life: And How to Win It. Drawing on 50 years of experience across politics, business and broadcasting, Ivan reflects on the lessons that shaped his life – from leaving school early and becoming Ireland’s youngest TD at the time, to building a business, facing bankruptcy, reinventing himself in broadcasting and continuing to...