Former top tech + national security advisor Jason Matheny, now CEO of RAND, discusses topics like organizational design, existential risks around AI and bio, government's capacity for implementing technology strategy, and the lessons national security professionals can learn from art and architecture.

Gideon Rachman discusses nuclear war, deadly pandemic, and AI risks with Jason Matheny, president of the Rand Corporation and former director for technology policy on President Biden’s National Security Council. They explore China's belief in controlling nuclear escalation, the importance of direct communication, and the urgent need for biodefenses and surveillance systems. The speakers emphasize rethinking national security strategies to address emerging technologies like AI and synthetic biology.