Episodes

  • Autonomous Warfare Has Arrived | African Lion 2026 Exclusive with Gen. Anderson & Lt. Gasparri

    Autonomous Warfare Has Arrived | African Lion 2026 Exclusive with Gen. Anderson & Lt. Gasparri
    May 28 2026
    How is AI changing modern warfare? And are we already entering the age of autonomous war? Shane Smith and VICE News travel to Morocco for African Lion 2026 — one of the largest military exercises in the world — to get an inside look at the technologies rapidly transforming the battlefield. From AI-assisted targeting systems and autonomous combat vehicles to suicide drones, robotics, quantum computing, and next-generation military communications, Shane embeds with U.S. AFRICOM and the young soldiers building the future of warfare in real time. In this episode of Shane Smith Has Questions, Shane speaks with General Davin R.M. Anderson, Commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) and 1st Lt. Vincent Gasparri, Innovation Team Lead 173rd Airborne Brigade, who leads a new generation of military innovators developing drone systems inspired by lessons from Ukraine, Iran, and modern asymmetric warfare. The conversations explore: AI on the battlefield Autonomous weapons systems Drone warfare and counter-drone tech Robotics and future combat Quantum computing and encryption The ethics of AI warfare Terror threats in Africa How Ukraine changed military strategy The future of the U.S. military As wars become increasingly automated, Shane asks the question everyone is thinking: Are we prepared for a future where AI helps run wars? Subscribe to VICE News here: ⁠⁠⁠http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News⁠⁠⁠ Check out VICE News for more: ⁠⁠⁠http://vicenews.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    54 mins
  • Iran Speaks Out: Inside Tehran’s Response to Trump, Israel & War | Shane Smith Has Questions

    Iran Speaks Out: Inside Tehran’s Response to Trump, Israel & War | Shane Smith Has Questions
    May 21 2026
    As tensions between the United States, Israel, and Iran continue to escalate, Shane Smith travels to Tehran for a rare interview with Esmail Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry.Esmail Baghaei has been in the news today, confirming that Iran is examining the U.S. response to Iran’s latest peace proposal, delivered through Pakistan. As a potential deal to end hostilities hangs in the balance, we gave the Iranian government representative the opportunity to respond directly to accusations about its nuclear program, President Trump’s claims that Iran is “begging” for a deal, the Strait of Hormuz crisis, sanctions, regional escalation, and the growing fear of a wider war in the Middle East.The spokesperson argues that Iran has been unfairly targeted by the U.S. and Israel for decades, blames the U.S. and Israel for escalating the conflict, and warns that continued military pressure could destabilize the entire region. Shane pushes back throughout the interview, asking why Iran continues pursuing nuclear energy despite mounting international pressure, whether peace is realistically possible, and what the Iranian government believes Americans fundamentally misunderstand about Iran.Topics include: Iran’s response to Trump and U.S. military pressure Israel’s role in the conflict The Strait of Hormuz and global energy fears Nuclear weapons accusations Sanctions and frozen Iranian assets Regional escalation and Gulf states The collapse of diplomacy after the JCPOA Why Iran says it does not want war Recorded in Tehran. Subscribe to VICE News here: ⁠⁠http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News⁠⁠ Check out VICE News for more: ⁠⁠http://vicenews.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    25 mins
  • UFO Disclosure Has Started w/ Jeremy Corbell on Sleeping Dog

    UFO Disclosure Has Started w/ Jeremy Corbell on Sleeping Dog
    May 14 2026
    After the latest U.S. government release of UAP/UFO files, filmmaker and investigative journalist Jeremy Corbell returns to Shane Smith Has Questions for a deep dive into what may be the biggest disclosure moment yet. Jeremy and Shane Smith break down the new government “data dump,” the whistleblowers testifying under oath, military footage from Syria and the famous Tic Tac encounters, alleged reverse-engineering programs, non-human intelligence claims, and why Corbell believes this is only the beginning. They also discuss: Corbell’s new documentary Sleeping Dog The Pentagon’s latest UAP releases The 46 videos Congress allegedly requested The Syria 2021 footage David Fravor and the Tic Tac incident Government secrecy and “the military industrial complex” Fear surrounding whistleblowers Whether real disclosure is finally happening “This is the biggest story in human history.” — Shane Smith Get your starter bundle at https://www.drinkag1.com/shanesmith Find LUCY near you at lucy.co/stores, or save 20% on your first online order athttps:///www.lucy.co/QUESTIONS with promo code QUESTIONS. Subscribe to VICE News here: ⁠http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News⁠ Check out VICE News for more: ⁠http://vicenews.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 10 mins
  • Don’t Let Iran Become Another Afghanistan w/ Former Inspector General John Sopko

    Don’t Let Iran Become Another Afghanistan w/ Former Inspector General John Sopko
    May 7 2026
    What happens when America never learns the lessons of its longest wars? Former Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction John Sopko joins Shane Smith for a brutally honest conversation about Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Ukraine, corruption, contractors, the military-industrial complex, and the trillion-dollar cycle of endless war. After overseeing more than 700 investigations into waste, fraud, and abuse during the 20-year war in Afghanistan, Sopko explains how America spent trillions, empowered corruption, radicalized populations, and repeated the same mistakes over and over again — while contractors, bureaucracies, and political interests kept the machine running. The conversation dives into: The real legacy of Afghanistan Why “nation building” failed How war spending fuels the contractor economy Why Iran could become another endless conflict The “Iron Triangle” between Congress, the Pentagon, and defense contractors Ukraine, Gaza, AI warfare, and drones Why America struggles to stop wars once they begin The dangerous consequences of weak oversight and bad advisors Sopko also warns that future wars will look nothing like Iraq or Afghanistan — and says the U.S. government is dangerously unprepared for the realities of drone warfare and artificial intelligence. This is one of the clearest insider accounts yet of how modern wars actually work — and who benefits from them. Subscribe to VICE News here: http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News Check out VICE News for more: http://vicenews.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • A Different Kind of Democrat on Fixing Government ft. Matt Mahan | Shane Smith Has Questions

    A Different Kind of Democrat on Fixing Government ft. Matt Mahan | Shane Smith Has Questions
    Apr 16 2026
    San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan joins Shane Smith for a raw conversation about why California feels broken and what it would actually take to fix it. They discuss the reality behind homelessness, why housing is so expensive, and how bureaucracy and bad incentives have made it nearly impossible to build. Mahan explains how corporate power, regulation, and political complacency have created a system that continually becomes more expensive without delivering better results. Mahan lays out why he believes California is at an inflection point and what a more pragmatic, results-driven approach could look like if anyone is willing to take it on. Get your starter bundle at https://www.drinkag1.com/shanesmith Subscribe to VICE News here: http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    43 mins
  • The System Is Rigged And Everyone Knows It ft. Scott Galloway | Shane Smith Has Questions

    The System Is Rigged And Everyone Knows It ft. Scott Galloway | Shane Smith Has Questions
    Mar 26 2026
    Scott Galloway sits down with Shane Smith to talk through why the system feels off right now and why more people are starting to notice. They get into how wealth keeps concentrating at the top, why the middle class isn’t growing the way it used to, and how big tech and corporate power quietly shape the rules. Galloway lays out why capitalism only works when the middle class is strong and what happens when it isn’t. The conversation moves through monopolies, tax policy, and the incentives driving both business and politics, all pointing to the same question: what actually changes this trajectory? They also touch on global instability, market fragility, and how close we might be to a real economic reset. It’s a blunt look at where things stand and what could come next if nothing shifts. Learn more at https://www.resistandunsubscribe.com/ Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at https://www.shopify.com/shane Go to https://www.surfshark.com/shanesmith and use code shanesmith at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN! Subscribe to VICE News here: http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • Iran, Oil, and the Crisis Coming Next ft. Ian Bremmer | Shane Smith Has Questions

    Iran, Oil, and the Crisis Coming Next ft. Ian Bremmer | Shane Smith Has Questions
    Mar 19 2026
    Ian Bremmer, one of the most connected geopolitical minds on the planet, sits down to explain the Iran crisis in brutally honest terms: why regime change was a fantasy, how Iran is somehow making more money since the war started, and why the real pain at the pump, at the grocery store, in your portfolio hasn't even hit yet. This isn't cable news spin. This is the unfiltered truth from someone who actually talks to world leaders. From Venezuela to Greenland to Lebanon to Cuba. Bremmer maps out a world unraveling in real time, where drone swarms are rewriting the rules of war, disinformation is making reality optional, and one miscalculation in the Strait of Hormuz could tip the global economy into freefall. If you've been watching the headlines and feeling like something massive is being missed you're right. Watch this. Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code shane at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/shane Subscribe to VICE News here: http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    54 mins
  • Oil, War, and Global Power ft. Amos Hochstein | Shane Smith Has Questions

    Oil, War, and Global Power ft. Amos Hochstein | Shane Smith Has Questions
    Mar 12 2026
    The Strait of Hormuz is effectively closed, and energy expert Amos Hochstein is calling this the single greatest energy crisis in global history bigger than the 1973 OPEC embargo. With roughly 10 million barrels of oil per day missing from global markets, prices have surged from $60 to nearly $100 a barrel, gas is climbing toward $4 a gallon, and major producers like Kuwait, Iraq, and Qatar have already slashed production. According to Hochstein, if the Strait remains closed for just 10 more days, the economic damage could become permanent and very difficult to reverse. The ripple effects are already being felt everywhere food prices, shipping, airline tickets, and everyday goods are all taking a hit. Meanwhile, Republican senators are privately warning the White House that if this continues, they risk losing both the House and the Senate. Hochstein breaks down the best case, worst case, and most likely scenario for how this war ends and what it means for everyday Americans already feeling the squeeze at the pump and the grocery store. The conversation also goes beyond oil, connecting the dots between energy, AI, and the new geopolitical battleground. The real competition isn't just over oil fields and shipping lanes anymore it's over data centers, chips, and who controls the future of artificial intelligence. With China closing the gap fast, the stakes for America's global dominance have never been higher. Subscribe to VICE News here: http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr