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The American Compass Podcast

What the AI Debate Gets Wrong with Colin Kahl

Feb 28, 2025
45:17

Every app on your phone brags about being “AI-powered.” Policymakers and pundits predict that the technology will soon dominate every aspect of life. But what’s actually happening with AI, and what can America do to “win” the global race to activate the tech’s promise?

On this episode, Colin Kahl, Biden’s former undersecretary of defense for policy and now co-director of Stanford’s Center for International Security and Cooperation, breaks down where things stand. He and Oren talk through what the AI debate gets wrong, whether “winning” the tech race with China is even a sensible goal, and the policy decisions that confront today’s leaders.

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