EPISODE · Nov 7, 2025 · 1H 2M
Vanguard’s Joe Davis on AI vs. The National Debt: The Tug-of-War To Decide America’s Future | #605
from The Meb Faber Show - Better Investing · host The Idea Farm
Today’s guest is Joe Davis, Vanguard’s Global Chief Economist and Global Head of Vanguard’s Investment Strategy Group. His latest research on megatrends is covered in his book, Coming Into View: How AI and Other Megatrends Will Shape Your Investments. In today’s episode, Joe explains why the coming decade for the U.S. economy will be shaped by a tug-of-war between AI and demographics-driven deficits. While the most likely outcome is optimistic (the benefits of AI offset demographic pressures), the next most likely outcome is pessimistic (AI fails to meet our expectations and growth tumbles, putting pressure on the government’s balance sheet). Joe emphasizes the need for investors to prepare for non-consensus outcomes and embrace diversification to navigate this uncertain future. Listen to Joe’s first appearance on the show in February 2020. (0:00) Starts (1:40) AI's impact on the economy (7:26) Megatrends and technological change (19:18) Financial market signals, narratives, and nonconsensus outcomes (25:23) Comparing hype in AI stocks, gold, and economic scenarios (32:44) Historical technology cycles (41:48) The role of international bonds in a diversified portfolio (47:47) AI's impact on financial advisors (55:10) The future of automation & AI ----- Sponsor: AcreTrader is an investment platform that makes it simple to own shares of farmland and earn passive income, and you can start investing in just minutes online. For more information, please visit acretrader.com/meb. ----- Follow Meb on X, LinkedIn and YouTube For detailed show notes, click here To learn more about our funds and follow us, subscribe to our mailing list or visit us at cambriainvestments.com ----- Follow The Idea Farm: X | LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok ----- Interested in sponsoring the show? Email us at [email protected] ----- Past guests include Ed Thorp, Richard Thaler, Jeremy Grantham, Joel Greenblatt, Campbell Harvey, Ivy Zelman, Kathryn Kaminski, Jason Calacanis, Whitney Baker, Aswath Damodaran, Howard Marks, Tom Barton, and many more. ----- Meb's invested in some awesome startups that have passed along discounts to our listeners. Check them out here! ----- Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What this episode covers
Today’s guest is Joe Davis, Vanguard’s Global Chief Economist and Global Head of Vanguard’s Investment Strategy Group. His latest research on megatrends is covered in his book, Coming Into View: How AI and Other Megatrends Will Shape Your Investments. In today’s episode, Joe explains why the coming decade for the U.S. economy will be shaped by a tug-of-war between AI and demographics-driven deficits. While the most likely outcome is optimistic (the benefits of AI offset demographic pressures), the next most likely outcome is pessimistic (AI fails to meet our expectations and growth tumbles, putting pressure on the government’s balance sheet). Joe emphasizes the need for investors to prepare for non-consensus outcomes and embrace diversification to navigate this uncertain future. Listen to Joe’s first appearance on the show in February 2020. (0:00) Starts (1:40) AI's impact on the economy (7:26) Megatrends and technological change (19:18) Financial market signals, narratives, and nonconsensus outcomes (25:23) Comparing hype in AI stocks, gold, and economic scenarios (32:44) Historical technology cycles (41:48) The role of international bonds in a diversified portfolio (47:47) AI's impact on financial advisors (55:10) The future of automation & AI ----- Sponsor: AcreTrader is an investment platform that makes it simple to own shares of farmland and earn passive income, and you can start investing in just minutes online. For more information, please visit acretrader.com/meb. ----- Follow Meb on X, LinkedIn and YouTube For detailed show notes, click here To learn more about our funds and follow us, subscribe to our mailing list or visit us at cambriainvestments.com ----- Follow The Idea Farm: X | LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok ----- Interested in sponsoring the show? Email us at [email protected] ----- Past guests include Ed Thorp, Richard Thaler, Jeremy Grantham, Joel Greenblatt, Campbell Harvey, Ivy Zelman, Kathryn Kaminski, Jason Calacanis, Whitney Baker, Aswath Damodaran, Howard Marks, Tom Barton, and many more. ----- Meb's invested in some awesome startups that have passed along discounts to our listeners. Check them out here! ----- Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Vanguard’s Joe Davis on AI vs. The National Debt: The Tug-of-War To Decide America’s Future | #605
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