The Business of War: Technology, Power, and the Military Industrial Complex | Toronto Talks Ep 011

War isn’t just fought on battlefields — it’s built into economies. In this episode of Toronto Talks, we unpack how technology, money, and politics intertwine to sustain one of the world’s most powerful markets: the military industrial complex.

From AI-driven weapons systems to trillion-dollar defense budgets, today’s conflicts are shaped as much by boardrooms and balance sheets as by generals and soldiers. Canada isn’t on the sidelines, either — our defense spending, NATO commitments, and partnerships with private firms are reshaping national security in profound ways.

Join Ash and Sophie as they explore:

The economics of war and why military budgets rarely shrink

How technology — from drones to cyber defense — is redefining modern conflict

Canada’s evolving role in the global defense marketplace

The cultural cost: what happens when conflict becomes normalized as an economic engine

Alternative paths — what could happen if we redirected even a fraction of this spending into health, education, and infrastructure

The business of war isn’t just about power and politics — it’s about markets. And those markets shape our future.

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