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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🎙️ This Won't Last - Eavesdrop on Keith Rabois, Kevin Ryan, Logan Bartlett, and Zach Weinberg's monthly backchannel. They unpack their hottest takes on the future of tech, business, venture, investing, and politics.

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References mentioned:

• Systems Confrontation and System Destruction Warfare: How the Chinese People's Liberation Army Seeks to Wage Modern Warfare


• 2024 Global Threat Report | 2024 Cyber Threat Report

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@eriktorenberg

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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