The Take

Artificial intelligence is moving fast - from chatbots to autonomous systems and physical machines. As investment surges, so do concerns about job losses, surveillance, warfare and whether the boom can last. We take a look at where AI is headed in 2026 and the growing resistance against unchecked technological power. In this episode: Brian Merchant (@bcmerchant), Writer, Blood in the Machine Episode credits: This episode was produced by Tamara Khandaker and Chloe K. Li, with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Fatima Shafiq, and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Noor Wazwaz. Our engagement producers are Adam Abou-Gad and Vienna Maglio. Andrew Greiner is lead of audience engagement. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Israel has become the first country in the world to recognize the breakaway region of Somaliland since it declared independence in 1991. What does the move mean for regional tensions around the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, and what will aligning with Israel mean for Somaliland? In this episode: Faisal Ali (@FaisalAHAli), Journalist, Al Jazeera English Episode credits: This episode was produced by Tracie Hunte, Sarí el-Khalili, and Melanie Marich, with Fatima Shafiq, Farhan Rafid, Tamara Khandaker, and our guest host Kevin Hirten. It was edited by Noor Wazwaz and Kylene Kiang. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad Al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

What happens when the US says it will “run” a country? President Donald Trump says the US will take control of Venezuela after arresting President Nicolas Maduro. The move has few modern parallels and raises urgent questions about sovereignty, oil, and regional stability. Why now? In this episode: Lucia Newman, Al Jazeera’s Latin America editor Episode credits: This episode was produced by Noor Wazwaz and David Enders with Farhan Rafid and our host, Kevin Hirten. It was edited by Alexandra Locke. The Take production team is Marcos Bartolomé, Sonia Bhagat, Spencer Cline, Sarí el-Khalili, Diana Ferrero, Tracie Hunte, Tamara Khandaker, Kylene Kiang, Phillip Lanos, Chloe K. Li, Melanie Marich, Catherine Nouhan, and Noor Wazwaz. Our editorial interns are Farhan Rafid, and Kisaa Zehra. Our host is Malika Bilal. Our engagement producers are Adam Abou-Gad and Vienna Maglio. Andrew Greiner is lead of audience engagement. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Joe Plourde mixed this episode. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

This week: 95 days into a ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 418 Palestinians in Gaza.   Israel placed new restrictions on NGOs operating in Gaza. As a new year began, Palestinians in Gaza continued to put hopes in a fragile ceasefire. Israel has killed at least 71,384 Palestinians in Gaza since October 7th, 2023. In this episode: Hani Mahmoud, Al Jazeera Correspondent Tareq Abu Azzoum, (@abuoazzum) Al Jazeera Correspondent Sinem Koseoglu, (@sinemkoseoglu) Al Jazeera Correspondent Episode credits: This episode was produced and mixed by David Enders. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Andrew Greiner and Munera AlDosari is our engagement producer. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Every Saturday, we revisit a story from the archives. This originally aired on August 19, 2025. None of the dates, titles, or other references from that time have been changed. With nearly 3 million Twitch followers, Hasan Piker is one of the internet’s biggest political streamers. He blends humor, culture and masculinity talk with sharp political commentary, drawing young men away from the US alt-right. And on Gaza, he has become one of the loudest US voices for Palestine. In this episode: Hasan Piker, @hasanthehun, online streamer Episode credits: This episode was updated by Tamara Khandaker. The original production team was Tracie Hunte, Sonia Bhagat Chloe K. Li, Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Melanie Marich, Julia Muldavin, Kisaa Zehra, Farhan Rafid, Sarí el-Khalili, and our host, Malika Bilal. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our engagement producers are Adam Abou-Gad and Vienna Maglio. Andrew Greiner is lead of audience engagement. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube