Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 5 hours ago

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Emil Michael is the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering at the Pentagon. Michael joins Big Technology to discuss how AI is transforming the Department of War, from targeting systems to drone warfare to cyber defense. Tune in to hear his account of why the Pentagon designated Anthropic a supply chain risk, what actually happened in the contract negotiations, and whether the decision was wise. We also cover how the military's Maven Smart System works in practice, what the U.S. learned from drone warfare in Ukraine and Iran, and whether the Pentagon Pizza Index is credible. Hit play for one of the most candid conversations you'll hear about AI and national security.

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction
0:39 How AI Changes Warfare
3:01 Maven Smart System
7:01 What LLMs Actually Do in the Military
11:29 Is Less Friction Dangerous?
14:30 Can AI Fundamentally Change War?
16:04 The China Threat
17:04 Will the Pentagon Use AI Agents?
21:18 Drone Warfare: Ukraine and Iran
27:53 AI and Cyber Warfare
29:32 The Anthropic Fight Explained
39:11 Could Anthropic Come Back?
51:42 The x.ai Stock Question
53:21 Fixing Pentagon Procurement
55:39 The Pentagon Pizza Index

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