Intelligence Squared

Latest Episodes:

Anthony Scaramucci on Trump and the Threat to American Democracy (Part Two) Oct 07, 2025

Show notes

Anthony Scaramucci, former White House Communications Director turned outspoken Trump critic, comes to Intelligence Squared in September for a straight-talking conversation on the fallout from Trump’s second presidency.

From his brief but explosive tenure inside the Trump White House in 2017 to his career on Wall Street and success as co-host of ‘The Rest Is Politics US’ podcast, Scaramucci has never been one to hold back — sometimes at great personal cost. In conversation with Emily Maitlis he explored the biggest questions facing America and the world today.

Is Trump an existential threat to democracy or can the US Constitution withstand his authoritarian impulses? Does his ‘America First’ approach make war more or less likely? Does Vladimir Putin hold leverage over Trump, or is his detachment from Europe’s troubles with Russia a calculated move to prioritise the greater threat from China? And are his opponents once again underestimating him — could the 77 million Americans who re-elected him be right that he will, in the end, make America great again?

Scaramucci, with his trademark wit and unfiltered honesty, offered a rare insider’s perspective on the chaos and consequences of the Trump era.

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Anthony Scaramucci on Trump and the Threat to American Democracy (Part One) Oct 05, 2025

Show notes

Scaramucci, with his trademark wit and unfiltered honesty, offered a rare insider’s perspective on the chaos and consequences of the Trump era.

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The Thick of It: 20 Years On, with Armando Iannucci, Peter Capaldi, Chris Addison and Rebecca Front (Part Two) Oct 04, 2025

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Malcolm Tucker. Pet ASBOs. A law requiring everyone in Britain to carry around a plastic bag.

It’s been twenty years since Armando Iannucci‘s The Thick of It first brought the chaos and drama of the fictitious ‘Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship’ into our lives. First aired on the BBC in 2005, the show satirised the Blair government’s spin-heavy politics, with Peter Capaldi’s foul-mouthed character Malcolm Tucker quickly becoming one of Britain’s most unforgettable TV villains.

In September 2025 Iannucci came to Alexandra Palace Theatre alongside actors from the show Peter Capaldi, Chris Addison and Rebecca Front to relive some of the funniest moments from the show, reveal behind-the-scenes stories and answer questions on whether a show like The Thick of It could ever work in today’s polarised political climate and social media news cycle.

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The Thick of It: 20 Years On, with Armando Iannucci, Peter Capaldi, Chris Addison and Rebecca Front (Part One) Oct 03, 2025

Show notes

Malcolm Tucker. Pet ASBOs. A law requiring everyone in Britain to carry around a plastic bag.

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Is AI About to Automate War? With Anthony King Sep 30, 2025

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Are supercomputers and killer robots going to take over?

In this episode, Adam McCauley speaks to professor and author Anthony King in order to debunk the science-
fiction tinged narrative of AI’s military potential and to, instead, explore the actual applications of AI in the armed forces over the last decade.

Professor Anthony King was appointed Director of the University of Exeter’s pioneering Strategy and Security Institute in 2023. He previously held positions at the University of Warwick and the University of Liverpool. He has also been advising the armed forces for over two decades. His latest work is AI, Automation, and War: The Rise of a Military-Tech Complex.

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Sir Tim Berners-Lee on the Internet, AI and the Future of Humanity (Part Two) Sep 28, 2025

Show notes

Watch the full video of this event for free here: https://mailchi.mp/intelligencesquared/lw6gixq1t9

The transcript of this event is available here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GvYGaOE-fnDQdFvrTLQjUGcrE6Ra0acN/view?usp=drive_link

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The most influential inventor of the modern world, Sir Tim Berners-Lee is a different kind of visionary. Born in the same year as Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, Berners-Lee famously shared his invention, the World Wide Web, for no commercial reward. Its widespread adoption changed everything — transforming humanity into the first digital species.

In September 2025 Berners-Lee came to the Intelligence Squared stage to tell the story of his iconic invention and explore the future of human innovation. Drawing on his new memoir, This is For Everyone, Berners-Lee explored how the web launched a new era of creativity and collaboration, while unleashing a commercial race that today imperils democracies and polarises public debate.

As the rapid development of artificial intelligence heralds a new era of innovation, Berners-Lee is the perfect guide to the crucial decisions ahead, and to provide a gripping, in-the-room account of the rise of the online world.

With his characteristic optimism, technical insight and wry humour, Berners-Lee discussed the power of technology — both to fuel our worst instincts and to profoundly shape our lives for the better.

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Sir Tim Berners-Lee on the Internet, AI and the Future of Humanity (Part One) Sep 27, 2025

Show notes

Watch the full video of this event for free here: https://mailchi.mp/intelligencesquared/lw6gixq1t9

The transcript of this event is available here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GvYGaOE-fnDQdFvrTLQjUGcrE6Ra0acN/view?usp=drive_link

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Hotels with History | Raffles Hotel, Singapore, with Richard E. Grant and Jules Perowne Sep 25, 2025

Show notes

This is an episode of Hotels with History, produced by Intelligence Squared on behalf of ⁠Perowne International⁠⁠.

On todays episode, Richard journeys to Singapore to explore the legendary Raffles Hotel. Discover how four visionary Armenian brothers turned a 10-room beach bungalow into a magnificent Neo-Renaissance palace, where literary giants found their muse, and some of the world’s most famous cocktails were shaken.

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What Did Twenty Years of Western Intervention in Afghanistan Achieve? With Jon Lee Anderson Sep 23, 2025

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For more than 40 years, world-renowned foreign correspondent Jon Lee Anderson has been reporting on wars, crises and revolutions, from Latin America to the Middle East and Africa.

Throughout his career he has made countless visits to Afghanistan, bearing witness to the Soviet invasion and the subsequent US interventions from 9/11 to the present day. His new book, To Lose A War, contains his reporting on the 20-year US military presence in Afghanistan, its disastrous and chaotic end and the return of the Taliban.

In this episode he sits down with foreign correspondent Hannah Lucinda Smith to discuss how the US mission lost its way, the resourcefulness and resilience of Afghanistan’s people and his hopes and fears for the country’s future under a resurgent Taliban.

To Lose A War: The Fall and Rise of the Taliban by Jon Lee Anderson is available now.

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Who are the Trailblazing Women Hidden From Our History? With Women's Prize Founder Kate Mosse Sep 21, 2025

Show notes

Did you know that Mary Shelley was a teenager when she started writing Frankenstein in 1814? Or that England’s most prolific goal scorer - man or woman - was superstar striker Lily Parr, who scored a staggering 997 goals between 1919 and 1951?

When Kate Mosse launched the #WomenInHistory campaign, asking people to highlight women whose achievements have been overlooked by history, she received thousands of nominations from around the globe. The result is her new book, Feminist History For Every Day of the Year. In it, she celebrates the extraordinary achievements of activists, writers, scientists, politicians and others, some of whom are household names, and others who deserve to be better known.

She sat down with broadcaster Shahidha Bari to share some of these incredible stories. They talked about the importance of putting women and girls back into history - including those with complicated or problematic views - and why rights are always fought for, never given, and need to be protected.

Kate Mosse is a novelist and founder of the Women’s Prize for Fiction and the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction. Feminist History For Every Day of the Year is out now.

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