by Taya Graham and Stephen Janis | Nov 2, 2026 | AI, Economy, Economy and Inequality, Inequality Watch, Politics and Movements: US, video
Is the AI bubble finally showing signs of popping? As technology companies pour ENORMOUS sums into artificial intelligence, troubling financial indicators are raising questions about whether the industry can generate enough revenue to justify its investments.Economist Dean Baker, co-founder of the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), joins Taya Graham and Stephen Janis on Inequality Watch to examine the growing financial risks behind the AI boom and what could happen if the money stops flowing.From rising borrowing costs at AI infrastructure company CoreWeave to concerns about massive data-center investments, Baker examines the growing divide between the extraordinary promises of artificial intelligence and the economic realities of financing it.But the biggest question may not be whether the AI bubble bursts. It’s who will pay if it does.Could a financial collapse threaten workers, retirement savings, and the broader economy? Could struggling AI companies seek taxpayer-funded bailouts after years of extraordinary private investment? And why should ordinary Americans bear the consequences of financial decisions they had no role in making? And what about the power grid and our limited potable water?!In this episode, Taya Graham, Stephen Janis, and Dean Baker explore the economics of the AI industry, the risks of speculative investment, and the consequences for working people if the boom fails to deliver its promised returns.As the debate over AI increasingly focuses on the technology’s potential dangers, Inequality Watch asks another question: What happens when an industry promising to transform humanity can’t make the numbers add up? And what if humanity doesn’t want the promised transformation?
Credits:
Producers: Taya Graham and Stephen Janis
Writer: Stephen Janis
Editing/Post-Production: Stephen Janis/Cameron Granadino
Transcript
The following is a rushed transcript
by Nolan Higdon | Nov 2, 2026 | AI, big tech, China, Op-Ed, Technology
During a September 2026 visit to Ireland, President Donald Trump declared, “We’re leading China in AI [artificial intelligence]. We’re the most sophisticated country in the world, and frankly I want to keep it that way because whoever wins AI wins.” His remarks arrived after months of calls from the public and tech industry insiders to slow AI development. These concerns were triggered by…
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by Mike Ludwig | Oct 6, 2026 | AI, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Bernie Sanders, DeFlock, Flock, ICE, license plate readers, News, Policing, Surveillance
Republicans and Democrats in Congress have introduced competing legislation to rein in the government’s use of Flock cameras and other automated license plate readers (ALPRs) following widespread abuses by police and intense public backlash to the powerful surveillance technology. ALPRs allow police to track vehicles and their drivers across expansive areas by using a variety of easily…
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by Julia Conley | Oct 6, 2026 | AI, News, Personal Data, price gouging, Prices, walmart
As Walmart attempted to debunk research into its pricing practices by watchdog group Groundwork Collaborative on Monday, the organization released a new report detailing more than a dozen patents the $833 billion corporation holds or has applied for — all aimed at monitoring customers’ behavior to determine what products to market to them, deceiving them about an item’s price, and upcharging them.
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by Chris Walker | Oct 2, 2026 | 2026 Elections, AI, Artificial Intelligence, Deepfakes, Derrick Van Orden, News, Rebecca Cooke, Wisconsin
This week, Rebecca Cooke, the Democratic candidate for a House of Representatives race in western Wisconsin, sent a “cease and desist” order to her Republican opponent, Rep. Derrick Van Orden, due to his constant use of artificial intelligence (AI) generated “deepfakes” featuring her likeness. The ads depict Cooke in fictional situations, including a conversation with former President Joe…
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by Sharon Zhang | Oct 2, 2026 | AI, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, News, Venezuela, War Crimes
President Donald Trump was reportedly encouraged by Elon Musk’s AI chatbot, Grok, to carry out his illegal invasion of Venezuela during an hourslong session with the chatbot just weeks before the attack this January. In December 2025, Trump asked Grok questions for hours during a secret visit to the White House by Musk, per new reporting by Time Magazine. Trump asked about his legacy…
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