Talking Politics

Could AI really 'kill us all' by the end of the decade?That was the claim of a resigning researcher at AI giant Anthropic, which has caught the world's attention.Jacob Coxon said Anthropic, the company behind AI assistant Claude, was "racing straight to self-improving superintelligence" and "gambling" with the lives of humanity as a result.So are the explosive claims and others like it genuine or just a hyperbolic marketing strategy?On Talking Politics, Tom Bradby and Robert Peston discuss that and what power the UK government has to force regulation on a global industry dominated by the US and China.Having followed the technology's development and its political implications closely for many years, Robert also explains what the realistic threats are and why both the US and China have been reluctant to regulate until now.

Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar has announced counter sanctions following the UK government's decision to ban imports from illegal settlements in the West Bank.On Talking Politics, Robert Peston and Daniel Hewitt discuss the timing of the decision, whether it has been driven by Labour Party politics and if it will actually help keep the possiblity of a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine alive.

The autumn Budget is looming, but rising borrowing costs could already be eating into Andy Burnham’s financial headroom. With the money available to deliver the 'radical' agenda he promised shrinking, the new PM and his Chancellor face tough choices: tax rises or spending cuts.Can Burnham make those difficult choices and take on some of Labour’s most politically sensitive commitments, including the welfare bill and the pension triple lock, or will his tendency to ‘people please’ hold him back?And with war in Iran continuing, driving up oil prices and impacting the health of the global economy, is Burnham’s biggest challenge the markets rather than his own MPs?Tom Bradby and Robert Peston discuss on this week's Talking Politics.

Andy Burnham has only been prime minister for a little over two weeks - but has already made an impression with his very different style of leadership to Sir Keir Starmer and raft of policies relating to the cost of living, social care, and more. He appears to have initially benefited from a bounce in the opinion polls, leading to some speculation about whether he will call an early general election. But how much of his plans actually stand up to scrutiny - particularly his proposals for devolution? And is the 'Burnham bounce' real or, with unfavourable headlines on the prisoner early release scheme dominating this week, is the honeymoon period already over? And does it give Reform UK and Nigel Farage the chance to bounce back? Tom Bradby and Robert Peston discuss on this week's Talking Politics.

Andy Burnham has kicked off his 'cost of living' government with a flurry of announcements - starting with removing VAT from household energy bills and restoring the £2 cap on bus fares in England. But he has already rowed back on a potential rise in the tax-free personal allowance.On Talking Politics, Tom Bradby and Robert Peston ask whether support is really being targeted towards those who most need it and whether it is ambitious enough to turn the country around. They also discuss his promise to end to factionalism, which coincided with a purge of the Starmerites.Tom also asks Robert to explain exactly what 'war bonds' are and whether some creative government accounting could actually help solve the defence funding dilemma. Plus Robert analyses what the abolishment of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology means for AI in the UK.