The Peter McCormack Show

Mark Suman, privacy-focused AI entrepreneur and ex-Apple ML engineer now building Maple, discusses how AI is moving from tools to mind-mappers. He explores thought capture, mapping human thinking, incentives that centralize power, and risks of subtle manipulation and state nudging. The conversation covers open vs closed AI, personal autonomy, and why privacy-first agents matter.

Matt Goodwin, academic and author on British politics and cultural change, warns rapid demographic shifts and a disconnected elite are eroding national cohesion. He discusses institutional rot, the scale of cultural transformation, the rise of disillusioned voters, and whether radical reform or pragmatic experience can restore stability. Short, sharp conversation about identity, politics and urgent change.

Simon Dixon, fintech entrepreneur and Bitcoin advocate, outlines the hidden architecture of global power. He maps how finance, military, and tech interests shape geopolitics. Short, sharp takes cover staged conflicts, asset-stripping of the West, AI-driven job shifts, self-custody of hard assets, and a turn to analog community and spiritual renewal.

Neema Parvini, academic and author on elite theory and political analysis, walks through how ruling classes maintain power. He covers why reformers get co-opted, the iron law of oligarchy, tactics elites use to redirect popular anger, ways insurgents might actually win, and why cross-ideological alliances and independent media matter.

Dr Tim Gregory, nuclear chemist and author of Going Nuclear, argues nuclear power is essential for reliable decarbonization. He explains why batteries and intermittent wind/solar risk blackouts. He exposes biomass fraud and regulatory failures, compares air pollution to nuclear accidents, and links humanity’s future to high‑density energy and space expansion.

Connor Leahy, AI researcher and former LLM builder who led EleutherAI and now focuses on safety and governance. He explains how modern AI is more grown than engineered. He discusses why alignment remains unsolved, the risks of accelerating AGI and military involvement, and concerns about emergent deception, recursive self‑improvement, and geopolitical incentives.

Firas Modad, a Middle East geopolitical analyst, unpacks how war reshapes energy, shipping and global markets. He maps Iran’s strategic choices, regional spillovers into Lebanon and proxy tactics, and how donor networks and political incentives drive decisions in Washington. Short, sharp takes on economic shocks, drone warfare, and the fog of information.

Luke Gromen, macro strategist and founder of FFTT LLC, explores sovereign debt dynamics and the clash between AI-driven deflation and a debt-dependent system. He discusses bond market warnings, signs of an acute fiscal break, portfolio hedges like gold and cash, and how rapid AI adoption could accelerate economic stress and social fallout.

Balaji Srinivasan, entrepreneur, angel investor, and author of The Network State, warns of Western decline and sovereign debt risk. He discusses capital controls, the rise of internet-first societies versus centralized states, and a three-step survival plan: liquidate, emigrate, accelerate. Conversation also covers AI’s disruption of work, tech decentralization beyond Silicon Valley, and geopolitical shifts favoring China.

Laila Cunningham, a political commentator and London mayoral candidate focused on housing, immigration and deregulation. She talks about London's demographic shifts and cultural identity. She critiques housing regulation and planning delays. She explores how globalisation, debt and technology shape the city and argues for AI-driven productivity and tougher immigration/work visa rules.