Why your next car will be grey and your next thought will be too May 22, 2025 The decline of colour in consumer products mirrors a troubling trend in AI, where bias and homogenisation threaten intellectual diversity, societal fairness, and the integrity of human knowledge itself, says Lewis Liu This week we’re getting a new family car. When my wife texted me the website showing color choices, I texted back, “I cannot [...]
Censorship is the virus, free speech is the vaccine May 22, 2025 Free speech, grounded in the principle of dispersed knowledge and “epistemic modesty” championed by Hayek, is far less dangerous than censorship, which empowers a self-appointed elite to enforce their biases on others, says Paul Marshall It is always dangerous to make binary distinctions, as they are over simplistic – but in the debate over free [...]
How London Bridge is fighting back against the ‘grotification’ of London May 22, 2025 With public finances increasingly unsafe, the private sector has a vital role to play in making streets cleaner, lighter and safer – and London Bridge’s business improvement district is showing how it’s done, says Rob Anderson Has London got dirtier, darker and more unsafe? As local authority budgets to maintain our high streets, parks and [...]
How the UK took on Hollywood (and why Trump wants it back) May 22, 2025 With expanding film studios and its creative talent, the UK is forging a new era of Hollywood. It's no surprise Trump wants it back.
‘Socialist’ Sweden has no problem with its billionaires May 22, 2025 Sweden has a higher proportion of billionaires than the US, but far from causing anti-capitalist backlash the supposedly socialist nation welcomes its wealthy, say Rainer Zitelmann and Anders Ydstedt In an article entitled ‘Sweden: a socialist paradise overflowing with billionaires’, Ruchir Sharma implied this was a bad thing. Writing in the Financial Times about Sweden, [...]
Paris vs London: which city comes out on top? May 22, 2025 Our front page story yesterday on Paris surging ahead of London in the rankings of tech sector hotspots got people talking, reigniting an ancient debate over the relationship – and rivalry – that exists between these two mighty capitals. Credit where it’s due; Paris has patiently built a deep and high-value tech sector. But it’s [...]
The UK is a financial world leader, so why are our numeracy levels so poor? May 21, 2025 Poor numeracy skills have real financial consequences. If the City is to remain a financial powerhouse, we must address the nation’s deteriorating maths, writes Andy Haldane on National Numeracy Day Financial services is a numbers game. Success in finance requires mastery of a wide range of skills, professional and interpersonal. But without a command of [...]
Zonal pricing would mean a postcode lottery for energy May 21, 2025 Anyone with a a serious interest in building, making or investing anything in Britain knows that creating a postcode lottery for energy prices will lead to uncertainty and higher prices for consumers, says Alistair Phillips-Davies Since Labour took office, a central question has emerged: can it reduce household energy bills by £300 and deliver the [...]
Billionaire exodus shows Britain is no longer a place for wealth to grow May 21, 2025 The Sunday Times’ Rich List has revealed a sharp decline in the number of UK-based billionaires in a worrying sign of the damage Labour’s tax policies are causing, says Jon Shankland The Sunday Times’ annual Rich List, published its latest iteration last week. Amid the names of the country’s most affluent, the list also revealed [...]
The Debate: Should we use ChatGPT in the classroom? May 21, 2025 Labour had pledged to put the UK at the forefront a revolution in AI and edtech, but should we really be using ChatGPT in the classroom?