Joshua Steinman, former military officer who served as Deputy Assistant to President Trump and Senior Director for Cyber (2017-2021), now co-founder of Galvanick, joins Erik Torenberg and AI scout Nathan Labenz for a discussion on the AI arms race. They focus on US-China relations, the rate of AI development, and the global implications of a technological arms race.
Should the US and China work together to prevent a future of AI-powered warfare, or is a conflict inevitable?
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References mentioned:
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Follow on X:
@JoshuaSteinman
@eriktorenberg
@turpentinemedia
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TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) Intro
(00:16) Reflections on previous episode
(03:31) Discussion on AI and Energy Concerns
(05:57) AI Arms Race Concerns and China's Plans
(09:49) Distributed Training and Rhetoric
(12:10) Ashenbrenner Model and Benefit Sharing
(15:54) Josh's Experience with Trump and Media Misrepresentation
(18:22) Public Perception of Trump and Media Bias
(23:07) Reasons for Disparaging Trump and the Dynamics of Power
(28:41) China's Nature and Response to China
(31:08) AI Concerns, Energy, and Corporate Power
(36:02) Tail Risk, Slaughterbots, and Political Power
(38:27) Arms Reduction Treaties and Reality
(42:05) Decommissioning Nuclear Weapons and AI Arms Race
(45:32) Semiconductor Policy and AI Future
(47:35) Slaughterbots, AI Control, and Trust-Building
(50:18) Olive Branches and China's Leadership
(51:52) Rand Corporation Report and Private Speeches
(55:13) The Declining Barriers to Entry in Violence
(58:48) Einstein Quote and Nuclear Weapons
(1:00:36) Wrap
