Callum Williams Keynote Speaker

Senior Economics Writer, The Economist
Author, 'The Classical School: The Birth of Economics in 20 Enlightened Lives' (2020)
Featured in BBC World Service, Sky News and Al Jazeera, among others

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Callum Williams's Biography

Callum Williams is Senior Economics Writer at The Economist, an author and a speaker on economics, politics and global trends.

As Senior Economics Writer for The Economist, Callum’s economic insights are highly sought after. Callum has a unique perspective on the intersection between the economy, markets and politics. He is a regular contributor to The Economist‘s podcasts and seminars, and he has been interviewed by the BBC, Fareed Zakaria and Sky News. Audiences value his no-nonsense style, and come away from his speeches feeling more clever than when they arrived.

At The Economist, he covers global economic trends including artificial intelligence, the future of work, inflation and globalisation. In October 2023 Callum authored a highly popular “special report” on the future of globalisation, which focused on the risks and opportunities from industrial policy and AI.

He can speak on a wide variety of topics. Living in San Francisco, he has an inside view of the AI boom, bringing rigorous data-driven analysis to the topic. He can talk about the relationship between stockmarkets and the surge in inflation. In 2023 he argued, against the consensus, that the world economy would avoid a recession.

He is also the author of The Classical School: The Birth of Economics in 20 Enlightened Lives (2020), which explores the history of economic thought.

Callum has studied at Cambridge, Oxford and Harvard, where he was supervised by Amartya Sen.

The True Size of the AI Opportunity

The launch of chatbots such as ChatGPT has sent global markets soaring. But for AI to reach its potential, ordinary businesses, from consultancies to restaurants, will need to start using AI in their day-to-day operations. How many businesses are actually doing this? Separating out PR fluff from the reality, Callum can use the latest data to explain AI adoption across America: the who, the what and the where. He can also talk through the lessons that the early adopters can show others.

The Future of US-China Relations

What does China want? How is it going to get it? And what does it mean for the West at large, and the US in particular? Despite recent economic troubles, the Chinese economy is still growing fast, while it is quickly becoming a global leader in electric vehicles, chips and renewable energy. Callum can speak about the latest trends from the Chinese economy, and how they are impacting America. The threat to the West of another "China shock" is probably overstated, he thinks. And, once you dig down, there is little evidence that China and the US are truly coming apart.

The Future of Work: Gen Zers, Millennials and Boomers

This year, for the first time, there will be more Gen Zers in workplaces than boomers. What does this mean for the future of work? Using original data and analysis, Callum can show that Gen Zers are in a surprisingly strong place. Their earnings have been better than millennials', and they have had more job opportunities. As a result, they take a different attitude to work--with both pros and cons for managers across America.