In this episode of new CGD podcast miniseries Sounds Robotic, host Charles Kenny talks with Lant Pritchett about the role of knowledge and technology in economic growth and the problems developing countries face.

In this first episode of new CGD podcast miniseries Sounds Robotic, host Charles Kenny talks with Cambridge University’s Diane Coyle about fears of job loss and inequality from advances in robotics and automation, as well as the regional impact of past technological change and what it might imply on a global scale. 

Anit Mukherjee on why ID is so important for development, what needs to happen to keep people’s data safe, and what developing countries who are considering implementing new ID systems need to know.

Martin Chrisney, Director of the International Development Assistance Services Institute at KPMG, on why private sector investment is critical to financing the SDGs, how development finance institutions can “blend” together public and private finance, and what governments can do to kickstart economic growth

Todd Moss, CGD senior fellow and executive director of the recently-launched Energy for Growth Hub, on why the Hub was created, how big the energy gap is, and why the tradeoff between residential and industrial energy isn’t really a tradeoff at all.

Sarah Bermeo, political economist and author of Targeted Development: Industrialized Country Strategy in a Globalizing World, on how rich countries’ motivations for development have evolved, what they mean for developing countries, and where we are now.

Former president of Malawi Joyce Banda on how leaders are made, the challenges she faced as Malawi's first women president, and how the development community can help African girls reach their full potential. 

Former White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough on the state of US immigration policy, the case for refugee resettlement, and national identity.

Louise Arbour, Special Representative for International Migration at the United Nations, on why we need to do better on migration, how international cooperation enhances national sovereignty, and what’s at stake in the ongoing negotiations for the Global Compact for Migration. 

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former President of Liberia and Africa’s first elected female president, on the impact of private sector investment, the urgency of action on climate change, and the resilience of developing countries.