On June 22nd we gathered at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall for a live, sold out debate on Artificial Intelligence. We were joined on stage by four AI experts and pioneers to debate the resolution Be it Resolved, AI research and development poses an existential threat. MIT’s Max Tegmark and Mila’s Yoshua Bengion argued in favour of the resolution, while Meta’s Yann Lecun and the Santa Fe Institute's Melanie Mitchelll argued against it. In this episode of the Munk Dialogues, we bring you the pre-interviews our host Rudyard Griffiths conducted with each debater prior to the debate. How did they intend to argue their case? What made them want to take part in this event? And what is it about AI that has them most worried, or alternatively, most excited?
 
The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.  
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To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership
Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.
This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/
Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz
Editor: Kieran Lynch

Munk Dialogue with AI Debaters Yann Lecun, Max Tegmark, Melanie Mitchell and Yoshua Bengio

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For the protesters and their supporters, the pro-Palestinian campus demonstrations across the globe are part of a proud tradition of student activism that includes the anti-Vietnam War protests in the 1960s, and the calls to end South African Apartheid in the 1980s. And just as those past protests are now widely accepted to have been on the right side of history, today’s campus protesters are confident that history will prove their cause was just. 
Critics disagree. They say the protesters have often downplayed or made excuses for Hamas’ murderous attack on Oct. 7; that the demonstrators fail to consider the complexity of a conflict that cannot be simplified into simple binary terms; and that some of the protesters have indulged in violent and hateful rhetoric towards Israelis and Jews. 
 
Arguing in favour of the resolution is Ben Burgis. He’s a columnist with Jacobin and an adjunct philosophy professor at Rutgers University.
Arguing against the resolution is James Kirchick. He is the New York Times bestselling author of Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington. He’s also a columnist for Tablet magazine, and a writer at large for Air Mail.
SOURCES:
Columbia Jewish & Israeli Students, WPA Film Library, Getty Images, ABC 7 New York, The Hill. 
 
The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths.
Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/
To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  
To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership
Members receive access to our 50+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.
This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/
 
Executive Producer: Ricki Gurwitz
Senior Producer: Daniel Kitts
Editor: Kieran Lynch

Be it Resolved, campus protesters are on the right side of history.

University students across North America have set up encampments to protest Israel's war in Gaza. These demonstrations are well organized and supplied, with tents, signs, banners, meals, and educational workshops/ So how exactly are these demonstrations being funded?
One think tank has made it their mission to “follow the money” - so to speak. ISGAP, The Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy - has uncovered that Qatar,  which is currently housing the senior leaders of Hamas, is the single largest foreign donor to American universities and is also sending money to Student for Justice in Palestine, the organization supporting pro-Palestinian protests on campus. Qatar has more than $500 billion dollars of assets in the United States.
Charles Asher Small, our guest on this Munk Dialogue, is the Executive Director of ISGAP and argues that Qatar - a small country which adheres to the ideology of the Muslim Brothers - is using soft power to influence western society, and especially our youth. 
 
 
The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths
Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/
To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  
To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership
Members receive access to our 15+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.
This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/
Executive Producer: Ricki Gurwitz
Senior Producer: Daniel Kitts
Editor: Kieran Lynch

Munk Dialogue with Charles Asher Small: Qatar's influence on campus protests

Iran’s missile and drone barrage at Israel earlier this month was the most brazen attack the Islamic Republic has ever conducted against the Jewish state. While Israel did respond with a limited strike, some say Israel should go further and destroy all of Iran’s nuclear facilities. The Islamic Republic doesn’t have nuclear weapons, but it has the material and know-how to put some together in a matter of weeks.
But attacking Iran’s nuclear installations comes with enormous risks: It would likely result in significant military retaliation by the Iranian government – something that could lead to a wider regional war that could draw in Israel’s allies in the west.
Arguing in favour of the resolution is Gadi Taub. He’s an Israeli historian, author, political commentator, and co-host of the popular Tablet Magazine podcast, Israel Update.
Arguing against the resolution is Trita Parsi. He’s the executive vice-president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. 
 
SOURCES:
Al Jazeera English, Times Radio, BBC News
The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths.
Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/
To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  
To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership
Members receive access to our 50+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.
This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/
 
Executive Producer: Ricki Gurwitz
Senior Producer: Daniel Kitts
Editor: Kieran Lynch

Be it Resolved, Israel should take out Iran’s nuclear facilities.

One of the most volatile regions in the world seems to be sitting on a tinder box. How can the international community avoid tensions between Israel and Iran from escalating further? Is it possible for Israel to achieve its war aims in Gaza without further inflaming the Middle East or jeopardizing the prospect of an enduring peace?
It’s hard to find someone more qualified to delve into these questions than our guest on this week's podcast. Ambassador Dennis Ross played a leading role in shaping U.S. involvement in the Middle East peace process in the George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama administrations. He also served as a special advisor on Iran to former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
 
The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths
Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/
To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  
To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership
Members receive access to our 15+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.
This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/
Executive Producer: Ricki Gurwitz
Senior Producer: Daniel Kitts
Editor: Kieran Lynch

Munk Dialogue with Ambassador Dennis Ross: a new Middle East strategy

The Middle East, a region already mired in conflict due to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, just got a lot more dangerous. In response to a recent Israeli strike on an Iranian consulate building in Damascus, Iran sent hundreds of drones and missiles to attack Israel, setting the stage for a potential military escalation. The world is now watching closely as the long shadow war between Israel and Iran - which has played out with proxies in Gaza, Lebanon, and Yemen for years - threatens to turn into a full blown war between the two regional enemies that could draw in the surrounding Arab States, the US, and even Russia. 
To unpack this unfolding crisis we are joined by Gregg Carlstrom. Greg is a Middle East correspondent for The Economist, and has covered the region for more than a decade, with stints in Cairo, Beirut and Tel Aviv.




The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths
Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/
To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.  
To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership
Members receive access to our 15+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events.
This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/
Executive Producer: Ricki Gurwitz
Senior Producer: Daniel Kitts
Editor: Kieran Lynch

Munk Dialogue with AI Debaters Yann Lecun, Max Tegmark, Melanie Mitchell and Yoshua Bengio

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