John Thornhill
@johnthornhill.bsky.social
Founder of Sifted, the FT-backed startup covering European tech. Tech columnist Financial Times and host of Tech Tonic podcast
https://www.ft.com/john-thornhill
https://www.ft.com/john-thornhill
Reposted by John Thornhill
Is the U.S.-China AI rivalry a zero-sum game? @caiwei.bsky.social @johnthornhill.bsky.social and @djrothkopf.bsky.social explore where China currently holds the edge—and why "us versus them" fails to capture the complexity of the AI landscape. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/d...
youtu.be/s7I9rE2192c
youtu.be/s7I9rE2192c
January 29, 2026 at 10:53 PM
Is the U.S.-China AI rivalry a zero-sum game? @caiwei.bsky.social @johnthornhill.bsky.social and @djrothkopf.bsky.social explore where China currently holds the edge—and why "us versus them" fails to capture the complexity of the AI landscape. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/d...
youtu.be/s7I9rE2192c
youtu.be/s7I9rE2192c
Reposted by John Thornhill
Interesting piece from @johnthornhill.bsky.social, with some thoughts from me
Want to solve deepfakes? Ask citizens what to do
Assemblies can bridge the gap between people being treated as voters and consumers
www.ft.com
January 30, 2026 at 6:57 PM
Interesting piece from @johnthornhill.bsky.social, with some thoughts from me
Reposted by John Thornhill
Can’t wait for this amazing evening of conversation on 11 Feb at @technomoralfutures.bsky.social, on AI Narratives & Counternarratives with @abeba.bsky.social @amoorelouise.bsky.social, FT’s @johnthornhill.bsky.social & our own Alex Taylor. Join online or in Edinburgh - register to hold your space!
What's the story with AI?
Find out at the next event in our Technomoral Conversations series, exploring AI narratives and counter-narratives!
🗓️ Wednesday 11 February 18.00-19.30 GMT
📍 Edinburgh Futures Institute & online
🎟️ edin.ac/3MZEm0a
Find out at the next event in our Technomoral Conversations series, exploring AI narratives and counter-narratives!
🗓️ Wednesday 11 February 18.00-19.30 GMT
📍 Edinburgh Futures Institute & online
🎟️ edin.ac/3MZEm0a
January 20, 2026 at 12:45 PM
Can’t wait for this amazing evening of conversation on 11 Feb at @technomoralfutures.bsky.social, on AI Narratives & Counternarratives with @abeba.bsky.social @amoorelouise.bsky.social, FT’s @johnthornhill.bsky.social & our own Alex Taylor. Join online or in Edinburgh - register to hold your space!
Reposted by John Thornhill
Nick Clegg takes on venture capital role alongside Meta AI scientist Yann LeCun-Clegg told the FT conference that Europe had a “very, very profound dilemma, which is that we’re not only completely dependent on…
www.ft.com/content/98cf... @melissahei.bsky.social @financialtimes.com
www.ft.com/content/98cf... @melissahei.bsky.social @financialtimes.com
Nick Clegg takes on venture capital role alongside Meta AI scientist Yann LeCun
Former lobbyist and UK deputy prime minister joins London-based Hiro Capital
www.ft.com
December 12, 2025 at 4:25 AM
Nick Clegg takes on venture capital role alongside Meta AI scientist Yann LeCun-Clegg told the FT conference that Europe had a “very, very profound dilemma, which is that we’re not only completely dependent on…
www.ft.com/content/98cf... @melissahei.bsky.social @financialtimes.com
www.ft.com/content/98cf... @melissahei.bsky.social @financialtimes.com
Interesting take from @kaifulee.bsky.social
The US closed AI ecosystem = Apple iOS
The Chinese open system = Google Android
Both can win in different ways
as.ft.com/r/079d7dc7-3...
The US closed AI ecosystem = Apple iOS
The Chinese open system = Google Android
Both can win in different ways
as.ft.com/r/079d7dc7-3...
December 9, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Interesting take from @kaifulee.bsky.social
The US closed AI ecosystem = Apple iOS
The Chinese open system = Google Android
Both can win in different ways
as.ft.com/r/079d7dc7-3...
The US closed AI ecosystem = Apple iOS
The Chinese open system = Google Android
Both can win in different ways
as.ft.com/r/079d7dc7-3...
October 8, 2025 at 8:00 AM
"America has become one big bet on AI," writes Ruchir Sharma.
Better not go wrong....
on.ft.com/3KUg7z8
Better not go wrong....
on.ft.com/3KUg7z8
October 6, 2025 at 8:48 AM
"America has become one big bet on AI," writes Ruchir Sharma.
Better not go wrong....
on.ft.com/3KUg7z8
Better not go wrong....
on.ft.com/3KUg7z8
Terrific piece on @alphaville.ft.com by Sinead O'Sullivan:
"Winners emerge from redundancy, not efficiency."
on.ft.com/4gTUz1M
"Winners emerge from redundancy, not efficiency."
on.ft.com/4gTUz1M
In space, nobody can hear you budget
SpaceX and Blue Origin are no more efficient at building spacecraft than NASA. But that’s not the point of them
on.ft.com
October 3, 2025 at 9:14 AM
Terrific piece on @alphaville.ft.com by Sinead O'Sullivan:
"Winners emerge from redundancy, not efficiency."
on.ft.com/4gTUz1M
"Winners emerge from redundancy, not efficiency."
on.ft.com/4gTUz1M
Is AI revolutionising the workplace? Maybe not (yet).
“When we spoke to executives, they would often say the internal tool was very successful... But when we spoke to employees, we found zero usage.” @melissahei.bsky.social @chriscook.news @claradoodle.bsky.social
on.ft.com/4pBm97R
“When we spoke to executives, they would often say the internal tool was very successful... But when we spoke to employees, we found zero usage.” @melissahei.bsky.social @chriscook.news @claradoodle.bsky.social
on.ft.com/4pBm97R
America’s top companies keep talking about AI — but can’t explain the upsides
[FREE TO READ] FT analysis of hundreds of filings suggest the S&P 500 businesses are clearer about the risks than benefits
on.ft.com
September 23, 2025 at 9:42 AM
Is AI revolutionising the workplace? Maybe not (yet).
“When we spoke to executives, they would often say the internal tool was very successful... But when we spoke to employees, we found zero usage.” @melissahei.bsky.social @chriscook.news @claradoodle.bsky.social
on.ft.com/4pBm97R
“When we spoke to executives, they would often say the internal tool was very successful... But when we spoke to employees, we found zero usage.” @melissahei.bsky.social @chriscook.news @claradoodle.bsky.social
on.ft.com/4pBm97R
Investment in European defence tech is surging
on.ft.com/4mOJ5yz
More here from the @financialtimes.com Tech Tonic podcast:
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/f...
on.ft.com/4mOJ5yz
More here from the @financialtimes.com Tech Tonic podcast:
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/f...
September 8, 2025 at 6:27 AM
Investment in European defence tech is surging
on.ft.com/4mOJ5yz
More here from the @financialtimes.com Tech Tonic podcast:
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/f...
on.ft.com/4mOJ5yz
More here from the @financialtimes.com Tech Tonic podcast:
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/f...
Kicking off the Tech Tent with Sarah Wynn-Williams interviewed by Murad Ahmed at FT weekend festival
September 6, 2025 at 10:05 AM
Kicking off the Tech Tent with Sarah Wynn-Williams interviewed by Murad Ahmed at FT weekend festival
Punchy interview with LocalGlobe's Saul Klein on the meh-ness of unicorns, the importance of ARR and the need for UK institutional investors to get serious about tech (see below)
sifted.eu/articles/sau...
@amyrlewin.bsky.social @sifted.eu
sifted.eu/articles/sau...
@amyrlewin.bsky.social @sifted.eu
September 3, 2025 at 9:59 AM
Punchy interview with LocalGlobe's Saul Klein on the meh-ness of unicorns, the importance of ARR and the need for UK institutional investors to get serious about tech (see below)
sifted.eu/articles/sau...
@amyrlewin.bsky.social @sifted.eu
sifted.eu/articles/sau...
@amyrlewin.bsky.social @sifted.eu
The most read column in the @financialtimes.com over the past month was my piece on the coming AI crash channeling the thoughts of @carlotaperez.bsky.social
As always, there are some great - and varied - comments from FT readers 👀 😵💫
on.ft.com/45SXanu
As always, there are some great - and varied - comments from FT readers 👀 😵💫
on.ft.com/45SXanu
Brace for a crash before the golden age of AI
[FREE TO READ] History teaches that tech revolutions follow a predictable cycle of installation followed by creative destruction
on.ft.com
August 31, 2025 at 5:56 PM
The most read column in the @financialtimes.com over the past month was my piece on the coming AI crash channeling the thoughts of @carlotaperez.bsky.social
As always, there are some great - and varied - comments from FT readers 👀 😵💫
on.ft.com/45SXanu
As always, there are some great - and varied - comments from FT readers 👀 😵💫
on.ft.com/45SXanu
August 31, 2025 at 12:03 PM
And the best Google killer in AI search is… Google (according to this @washingtonpost.com study)
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
August 27, 2025 at 2:58 PM
And the best Google killer in AI search is… Google (according to this @washingtonpost.com study)
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
Reposted by John Thornhill
Janet Yellen: "The independence of the Federal Reserve is not some technocratic nicety. It is the bedrock of US economic stability and global leadership. Trump’s effort to tear it down for personal gain is reckless, corrosive, and profoundly un-American." www.ft.com/content/d2ea...
Trump’s attack on the Fed threatens US credibility
History teaches us that chaos follows when leaders undermine the independence of central banks
www.ft.com
August 27, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Janet Yellen: "The independence of the Federal Reserve is not some technocratic nicety. It is the bedrock of US economic stability and global leadership. Trump’s effort to tear it down for personal gain is reckless, corrosive, and profoundly un-American." www.ft.com/content/d2ea...
Interesting reading from @dealroom.bsky.social on the top performing VCs in Europe
dealroom.co/power-law-in...
dealroom.co/power-law-in...
August 27, 2025 at 6:55 AM
Interesting reading from @dealroom.bsky.social on the top performing VCs in Europe
dealroom.co/power-law-in...
dealroom.co/power-law-in...
Shocking. Someone bet big on Taylor Swift's big news.
h/t @johnauthers.bsky.social
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/news...
h/t @johnauthers.bsky.social
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/news...
August 27, 2025 at 6:10 AM
Shocking. Someone bet big on Taylor Swift's big news.
h/t @johnauthers.bsky.social
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/news...
h/t @johnauthers.bsky.social
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/news...
Who has the better model - China's engineering state or America's lawyerly society? Both have their strengths and weaknesses as Dan Wang explores in his provocative new book Breakneck. My @financialtimes.com review below
on.ft.com/45p1Q5w
on.ft.com/45p1Q5w
Breakneck — why China’s engineers beat America’s lawyers
[FREE TO READ] Dan Wang’s compelling and provocative book explores both the merits and the madness of China’s engineering state
on.ft.com
August 20, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Who has the better model - China's engineering state or America's lawyerly society? Both have their strengths and weaknesses as Dan Wang explores in his provocative new book Breakneck. My @financialtimes.com review below
on.ft.com/45p1Q5w
on.ft.com/45p1Q5w
Victor Riparbelli CEO of @synthesia.io speaks for many European founders: “I love Europe and I want Europe to succeed. I could have moved my company to the US. We’ve kept it here, and we want to keep it here but man, they’re not making it easy.” @martincoulter.bsky.social
sifted.eu/articles/syn...
sifted.eu/articles/syn...
Synthesia CEO Victor Riparbelli: ‘I'm very good at slapping stuff together’
The boss of one of Britain’s hottest AI startups on hype cycles, EU red tape and his passion for electronic music.
sifted.eu
July 14, 2025 at 6:50 AM
Victor Riparbelli CEO of @synthesia.io speaks for many European founders: “I love Europe and I want Europe to succeed. I could have moved my company to the US. We’ve kept it here, and we want to keep it here but man, they’re not making it easy.” @martincoulter.bsky.social
sifted.eu/articles/syn...
sifted.eu/articles/syn...
The US US discovered debt as a natural resource around 2000, and has been exporting it ever since.
Excellent article by @bhgreeley.bsky.social
on.ft.com/40NNZmt
Excellent article by @bhgreeley.bsky.social
on.ft.com/40NNZmt
July 13, 2025 at 7:06 AM
The US US discovered debt as a natural resource around 2000, and has been exporting it ever since.
Excellent article by @bhgreeley.bsky.social
on.ft.com/40NNZmt
Excellent article by @bhgreeley.bsky.social
on.ft.com/40NNZmt
Excellent essay by @peterfrankopan.bsky.social
July 5, 2025 at 8:09 AM
Excellent essay by @peterfrankopan.bsky.social
Extraordinary graphic showing the distributional impact of the “big, beautiful bill.”
on.ft.com/46mGdn6
on.ft.com/46mGdn6
July 1, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Extraordinary graphic showing the distributional impact of the “big, beautiful bill.”
on.ft.com/46mGdn6
on.ft.com/46mGdn6
July 1, 2025 at 6:11 AM