Technology

Simon Johnson on Technology, Institutions and Prosperity

SIMON JOHNSON February 14, 2025

Countries with better institutions are more prosperous. A truism perhaps, but then why are they so hard to build and sustain? That is the question that Simon Johnson has sought to explain since the fall of communism and the basis for the research that won him the 2024 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences. In this podcast, Johnson discusses the interdependence of institutions and technology, the topic of his latest book Power and Progress.

Technology / Artificial intelligence

Yuval Noah Harari on Human Evolution and the AI Revolution

Yuval Noah Harari October 1, 2024

Stories can unify or divide but our ability to imagine them is uniquely human. Cooperation and trust, built through shared stories and narratives, are the foundation of human societies and economies. So what happens when humans no longer hold the pen? Yuval Noah Harari is a historian, philosopher, and author. In this podcast, Harari says artificial intelligence is a risk to humankind’s most valuable resource, trust.

Technology / Fintech

Measuring Money in the Digital Age: Jim Tebrake

Jim Tebrake January 23, 2024

As the global economy becomes increasingly digitalized, effective policy and regulation are critical to ensure a stable and equitable financial system. Jim Tebrake is Deputy Director and heads the data and methodology efforts in the IMF Statistics Department. In this podcast, Tebrake says the world of digital money is changing quickly and statisticians should be prepared to provide the data that policymakers need to respond effectively.

Technology / Artificial intelligence

AI’s Real Risk to Wages: Andrew Berg and Maryam Vaziri

MARYAM VAZIRI, ANDREW BERG December 7, 2023

The pace at which artificial intelligence is transforming jobs is astounding, but while it boasts higher productivity AI is also increasing wage inequality. When workers are replaced by machines, real wages decline, and the owners of capital prosper. So who owns AI and how should its benefits be distributed? The IMFs Andrew Berg and Maryam Vaziri discuss AI’s inequality problem.

Technology / Central banks

Jookyung Ree on the eNaira, One Year After

Jookyung Ree July 20, 2023

Nigeria’s eNaira was the first Central Bank Digital Currency in Africa and only the second in the world when it launched in October 2021, but a growing number of countries across the globe are now planning to follow suit with their own CBDCs. What can they learn from Nigeria’s experience? Jookyung Ree is an economist in the IMF African Department and assigned to Nigeria when the CBDC was introduced. Ree has since studied its impact on the economy and found that existing mobile money networks are proving a challenge to the eNaira’s adoptability.

Technology / Technological innovation

Michael Kremer on Innovation

Michael Kremer January 12, 2023

Innovation is often associated with developments in information and communication technologies, but for economists, innovation is also about developing new business models and new ways for governments to deliver public services like health and education.

Technology / Fintech

Hilary Allen on the Superficial Allure of Crypto

HILARY J. ALLEN October 20, 2022

Cryptocurrencies have grabbed news headlines with their dramatic highs and lows, and their proponents argue they could revolutionize the financial system, making it faster and fairer.

Technology / Fintech

Alphabet CFO Ruth Porat and Gita Gopinath: Where Public Meets Private

GITA GOPINATH, Ruth Porat June 28, 2022

Alphabet and Google Chief Financial Officer Ruth Porat and IMF First Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath discuss the growing number of challenges facing the global economy and the opportunities where the private sector can help.

Technology / Fintech

Tobias Adrian: The Promise and the Risk of Crypto Assets

TOBIAS ADRIAN October 8, 2021

The crypto ecosystem is growing fast because there are a number of potential benefits to adopting crypto assets, like making payments and financial services cheaper, faster and accessible to more people.

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About IMF Podcasts

IMF Podcasts are the views of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff and external officials on pressing economic and policy issues of the day. The IMF, based in Washington D.C., is an organization of 191 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation and financial stability around the world. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF and its Executive Board.

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