Last year, the US experienced one of the most tumultuous years in our history – and certainly in my lifetime. Globally, the Trump era saw America loosen bonds with our allies and contend inconsistently with our rivals and adversaries.

While many commentators claim we have entered a new era of geopolitics and left an old era of globalized commerce, it is wrong to oppose these two scenarios. Globalization and geopolitics are not antithetical forces, as if rivalry reverses interdependence. Without the imperial ambitions of the Romans, Mongols, Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, British, and Americans, we would have no globalization.

During the recent conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, drone technology appears to have proved decisive in defeating conventional armoured forces – tanks, to you and me. This suggests that we are entering one of those periods when the equilibrium between offensive and defensive technologies on the battlefield becomes mismatched; the latest chapter in the old story of longbow versus knight, machine gun against mass infantry attack, carrier-borne aircraft and battleship.

Post-Brexit and post-Trump, where does the media go next? In 2016, the EU referendum and presidential elections took place in quick succession, suggesting that on both sides of the Atlantic we were more polarised than ever before.

Download Issue Three of A:I magazine.

European CEOs and board members need to prepare for three new drivers of change that will determine their agenda in the 2020s: geopolitical and geoeconomic risk; the drive for sustainable business models according to environmental, social and governance criteria; and the ongoing technological revolution. In short: get ready for the GET world.

In March, Boris Johnson’s cabinet announced the biggest government bailout scheme the UK has ever seen. The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, declared that there would be no cap on what the government would spend to support UK businesses. A justifiable use of taxpayers’ money in order to save the UK’s economy but how will the favour be repaid? The Social Market Foundation’s James Kirkup explains the think-tank’s new proposal to create a fresh social contract for UK businesses.

Schools have always had to navigate new technological advancements, adjusting and adapting to keep themselves relevant and of worth. However, the rapid developments in artificial intelligence topped off with a global pandemic enforcing school closures all over the world have been a rather unexpected set of circumstances.

The impact of COVID-19 has been unlike anything any of us have experienced before, but the secondary impacts and the lockdowns in place to contain it are equally catastrophic and, in some cases, deadly. In April, the Wellcome Trust launched their plan for an exit strategy – COVID-Zero – alongside a fund that will invest in treatments, vaccines, and testing for coronavirus.

COVID-19 has taken a huge toll on mental health worldwide. In the UK, mental health charities are reporting significant increases in demand for their services and the trend is expected to continue. Chief Executive of the Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Jason Knauf, says the response to this needs to be three-fold: preventive action, collective action and funding…

In April, the NSPCC described the shortage of moderators who combat sexual abuse online combined with children spending more time on the Internet at home as a ‘perfect storm’ for abusers who want to take advantage of the pandemic. Sandra Marchenko from the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children details the factors involved and provides insight into potential actions to keep children safe.

In April, TV presenter Eamonn Holmes landed himself in hot water when he appeared to endorse an internet conspiracy theory connecting 5G masts to the spread of COVID-19. His apparently innocent remark, made on prime-time television, was seized upon by malign and misguided actors who helped the clip go viral. It was just one example of a much bigger problem – the challenge of responding to mis- and disinformation – which governments, businesses, and other organisations face particularly at sensitive times such as these.

In times of crisis, political and business leaders are scrutinised more than ever. And this pandemic is no different. Comparisons will be made and lasting conclusions drawn as the public looks to its leaders to guide, inspire, and support them through very dangerous waters. Here, Audley’s Imogen Beecroft delves into the intricacies of leading at such a complicated time, when survival as well as humanity and economics are all of the utmost importance. 

COVID-19 reveals one inalienable truth: the world is connected like never before. As infection rates ballooned, arriving at the doorstep of each country, like dominoes inevitably cascading onto one another, the opportunity and threat of our ever-increasing speed of connection has never been clearer.

Life in lockdown has become a temporary norm in countries all over the world but it can’t last forever. At some stage, the pendulum will shift and, when restrictions are lifted, there will be a whole new set of challenges to face: namely a global recession and the possibility of further outbreaks.

Download Issue Two of A:I magazine.

Download Issue One of A:I magazine.

The New Government

Boris Johnson’s decision to call a December general election for the first time in just under a century was deemed a gamble by the press. If so, it clearly paid off. But was it luck or was it part of a well-executed plan? Audley’s Chris Wilkins shares his opinions about the new Conservative government’s success and what we should expect from their upcoming tenure.

With the after effects of the financial crisis, the rise of populist politics, a renewed focus on social issues and major upheavals such as Brexit, the 2010s were a tough decade for businesses and business leaders. Business columnist and former government adviser, Jimmy McLoughlin, sets out what businesses must do to respond.