The global economy has become dependent on the AI industry. Trillions of dollars are being invested into the technology and the infrastructure it relies on; in the final months of 2025, functionally all economic growth in the United States came from AI investments. This would be risky even in ideal conditions. And we are very far from ideal conditions.
We are honoured to welcome author and academic Adam Hanieh back to Toronto to deliver this year’s talk. This event marks the fourth edition of the school’s annual lecture, held in the memory of the late Leo Panitch.
The first week of January, Trump sent 2,000 ICE paramilitary agents into Minneapolis, targeting Somali neighborhoods, along with Hmong and Latine communities, and turning the city into a domestic war zone.
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board has invested billions in fossil fuel expansion in the United States since Trump’s return to office.
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) is financing — and profiting from — U.S. President Donald Trump’s fossil fuel and AI development agenda, DeSmog has learned.
The CPPIB has invested billions in fossil fuel expansion in the U.S. since Trump’s return to office. It has partnered with private equity firms to acquire American oil and gas producers, and financed AI companies like Elon Musk’s xAI.
![[Prime Minister Carney has announced a suspension of federal gas taxes. There is a better solution. Photo from Prime Minister’s website.]](https://ecosocialistsvancouver.org/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/article-image/screenshot_2026-04-16_172822.png?itok=FfTlIX4Y)
