Chatbots and the battle for search

The world this week

Leaders

Search engines

The battle for internet search

Will the AI chatbots eat Google’s lunch?

HATAY, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 08: A man prays in front of a collapsed building on February 08, 2023 in Hatay, Turkey. A 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit near Gaziantep, Turkey, in the early hours of Monday, followed by another 7.5-magnitude tremor just after midday. The quakes caused widespread destruction in southern Turkey and northern Syria and were felt in nearby countries. (Photo by Burak Kara/Getty Images)

Seismic shock

The devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria might upend politics, too

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan faces a tough election in May

Saudi fans attend the "MDL Beast Fest", an electronic music festival, held in Banban on the outskirts of the Saudi capital Riyadh on December 19, 2019. - Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Prince Mohammed has sought to shake off his country's ultra-conservative image -- lifting a ban on cinemas and women drivers while allowing gender-mixed concerts and sporting extravaganzas. The relaxed social norms in a kingdom have been welcomed by many Saudis, two-thirds of whom are under 30. (Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP) (Photo by FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images)

A new social contract in the Gulf

Arab petrostates must prepare their citizens for a post-oil future

Better schools and a political voice would be a start

Wanted: severe contests

How to promote academic freedom in America

Colleges that promote ideological conformity do students a disservice

CORRECTION / This picture provided by the US Navy shows sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 recover a high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in the Atlantic ocean on February 5, 2023. - US President Joe Biden on February 6, 2023 defended the decision to wait until a Chinese balloon crossed the United States before shooting it down, and the White House said valuable intelligence was being culled from the device. (Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Tyler Thompson / US NAVY / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO /  US NAVY" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS / The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: corrects photographer's byline in metadata field [Petty Officer 1st Class Tyler Thompson] instead of [Petty Officer 1st Class Tyler Th]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require. (Photo by PETTY OFFICER 1ST CLASS TYLER TH/US NAVY/AFP via Getty Images)

China and America

Cold-war lessons from China’s spy balloon

To avoid perilous misunderstanding, the two sides should talk more

Adani’s agony

The humbling of Gautam Adani is a test for Indian capitalism

The biggest tycoons need the sternest scrutiny

Letters

On Ukraine and Russia, Britain’s canals, protectionism, Gina Lollobrigida, Esperanto, cannabis, Mickey Mouse, paying MPs

Letters to the editor

By Invitation

Briefing

A tycoon at bay

Why Adani Group’s troubles will reverberate across India

The conglomerate is not just big; it also embodies the tensions in the country’s growth model

International

Economic & financial indicators

The Economist explains

close up shot of a digital stock market tracking graph follwing a recent crash in prices. Bear market 3D illustration

The Economist explains

What is short-selling?

The Economist explains

How drones dogfight above Ukraine