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The Correspondent
The Correspondent

Karen Hao and the Empire of AI: Open AI’s financial risks, ethical controversies and global influence

23 November 2025 59:52 FCC Hong Kong

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About this episode

This episode is the audio of a recent FCC Hong Kong Club Lunch, moderated by FCC correspondent governor Jing Yang, in conversation with award-winning investigative journalist Karen Hao. Hao's investigation of Open AI and her subsequent book the Empire of AI is a bestseller. Yang begins the conversation by delving into one of AI’s most vexing questions: what is intelligence, and why is it so difficult to measure?


Here's how AI summarised the ensuing discussion:


From failed benchmarks and the philosophical roots of AI debates to the rise of machine learning, listeners learn why scientific consensus on intelligence remains elusive, complicating assessments of both human and artificial intellect. The conversation tracks OpenAI’s history—from early disappointments with games like chess and Dota, through securing multi-billion-dollar funding, to its dominance and ethical controversy in the modern AI industry. With a spotlight on exploitative hidden labor in developing countries, the podcast unpacks how the race for AGI reshapes economic power, policy, and technology investments. Hao explores OpenAI’s market strategy, financial risks, and political influence, as well as the disruptive trends from open-source competitors and global innovation. Ultimately, the episode challenges listeners to confront the growing ethical, financial, and philosophical stakes behind AI’s ongoing revolution.


Find more Club Lunches and QandA sessions with guest experts and authors at the FCC Hong Kong Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@FCCHKFCC


Written and produced by Jarrod Watt

FCC podcast music composed by Allen Youngblood

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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