måndag 14 september 2026

 

 

Judge Napolitano - Judging Freedom

 

 

Geopolitical Economy Report

 

Economy

EU vs. Tech Giants
ECB Chief: We Cannot Afford to Import AI

EU nations cannot simply purchase AI; the union must ensure it possesses its own capacity for the technology. This is according to Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank, as reported by Reuters.

She notes that while importing new technology is usually not an issue, AI is unique because its use is expected to permeate almost the entire economy. If Europe were to become dependent on a handful of foreign suppliers, those suppliers could alter terms or restrict access—thereby gaining a powerful lever of influence over the EU.

"It would become the most effective tool of leverage we have ever seen in Europe," says Christine Lagarde.

SAS’s Future
SAS Restructuring Cost 6 Billion

The restructuring of the airline SAS cost significantly more than the company had previously communicated, reports the Norwegian newspaper *Dagens Næringsliv*.

The bill for the so-called Chapter 11 process in the US totaled around 6 billion kronor—three times the amount SAS had previously stated. Just over half of the costs went to consultants, according to the Norwegian paper.

"This looks extremely expensive," says finance professor Bjørn Espen Eckbo regarding the fees the company agreed to pay. 

Gasoline Price Raised by 75 Öre – Highest Since Spring

Fuel prices continue to rise the day after the election. Today, the price of gasoline was raised by 75 öre to around 17.50 kronor per liter, reports TT.

The price of diesel is being raised by 15 öre to 22.70 kronor per liter, marking the highest level since last spring. Meanwhile, the price of oil continues to rise by more than 3 percent on Monday. 

The AI ​​race
Sources: Anthropic continues to turn a profit

AI giant Anthropic expects to report an adjusted operating profit for the second consecutive quarter when the current three-month period concludes. The company has disclosed this to investors, according to sources cited by the Financial Times. This adjusted figure excludes costs such as stock-based compensation.

Anthropic’s gross margin is expected to exceed 80 percent before accounting for costs such as AI model training and revenue sharing with distribution partners like Amazon, according to two of the sources.

Warnings about AI

Trump: A strong president is enough to control AI

Several prominent figures in the AI ​​sector have recently warned that AI is on the verge of running wild and that development needs to be slowed down. President Donald Trump dismisses these concerns.

He describes the warnings as a "sick conspiracy" that benefits only China.

"The only control, the only 'guardrails,' that AI needs is a strong and smart (high IQ) president," Trump writes in a post on Truth Social.

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei wrote in a blog post on Saturday that he has realized in recent months that it is time to slow the pace, citing, among other things, the Hugging Face incident.

Amodei has been supported by figures such as Elon Musk and Sam Altman.

Analysis: Strange times when companies ask for regulation

Donald Trump has dismissed calls to slow down AI, arguing that the alarms are part of "a sick conspiracy." BBC News North America correspondent Gary O'Donoghue notes a softer tone from the Vice President.

"JD Vance, on the other hand, acknowledged both the benefits and risks of AI and argued for 'smart' regulation," he writes.

Bloomberg columnist Matt Levine notes that the weekend's developments are the latest in a long line of examples showing we live in strange political times.

"It is a bit strange that an entire industry is basically saying 'regulate us, or else in our pursuit of huge profits we will kill everyone,' and the government responds 'nah, we’d rather you get the profits,'" he writes.

Cory Weinberg of *The Information* takes a broader view, arguing that the problem is the product itself, not the pace at which it is being developed. "A major question occupies politicians and voters: Is AI even good for us?" he asks himself.