Conversations on Groong - September 20, 2026 In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Professor Warwick Powell about multipolarity, infrastructure, and the strategic implications of emerging power blocs. We discuss tangible outcomes from the SCO and BRICS summits, the shift toward local-currency settlement and financial alternatives to Western institutions, China's role as an enabling power, and how countries like Armenia navigate the infrastructure competition between TRIPP and competing regional corridors. We also examine AI safety and digital sovereignty in a multipolar world, where both Washington and Beijing view artificial intelligence as a decisive strategic contest. Topics: - SCO and BRICS summit outcomes - BRICS financial architecture and currencies - AI safety and strategic competition - AI sovereignty for smaller states Guest: Warwick Powell Timestamps: 1:44 Intro to show with Dr. Warwick Powell 1:53 SCO and BRICS - what tangible results? 5:43 How is success measured in the advances? 11:23 Does CBET enable dollarization-free cross-border trade? 19:24 How is China an "enabling power"? 24:39 Could increased dependence on Chinese FinTech become a source of coercion? 29:21 How does China view the TRIPP project in the South Caucasus? 31:50 What do the examples of US interference in Panama & Venezuela tell China? 37:19 AI - How does China see the international AI race, and rate of AI development 47:44 Where are the bottlenecks in ramping up AI technology globally? 54:32 What part of technology would enhance a nation's technology sovereignty? 1:01:14 Are US exclusivity demands in technology relations becoming a problem to smaller states? 1:05:58 About Dr. Warwick Powell 1:06:49 SUPPORT GROONG - podcasts.groong.org/donate Hosts: - Hovik Manucharyan - Asbed Bedrossian Episode 587 | Recorded: September 17, 2026 SHOW NOTES: https://podcasts.groong.org/587