Financial Times hosts live Q&A on market risks tied to AI and bonds

In short: The Financial Times is inviting readers to submit questions for a live, text-based Q&A about the biggest risks facing markets, including concerns linked to AI and higher borrowing costs.

What happened

The Financial Times announced a live “Ask an Expert” session focused on market risks. It will feature markets columnist Katie Martin and US financial commentator Robert Armstrong.

The Q&A is scheduled for Thursday, September 24, from 1pm to 2pm BST. Readers can post questions in advance or during the session.

The FT notes that worry about extreme AI safety scenarios has weighed on US tech stocks. It also points to US borrowing costs rising, with the 10-year US Treasury yield reaching about 5.04%, the highest level since 2007. (A “yield” is the interest rate investors get for lending to the US government, and it often affects other borrowing rates, like a reference price.)

The article also mentions OpenAI signalling a delay to its planned initial public offering, or IPO (when a private company starts selling shares to the public). FT reports that OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman said it would be an “ill-advised moment” to go public amid concerns about AI’s potential existential risks.

Why it matters

Even if you do not buy stocks or bonds, these topics can affect everyday costs. When government borrowing rates rise, loans across the economy can get more expensive, including mortgages and business loans. If investors also get more nervous about AI, tech shares and retirement funds that hold them can become more volatile, meaning prices can swing up and down more sharply.

Source: Financial Times