Michael: Tech-Pentagon Friction Stems from Mistaken Belief in Defense Safety
Emil Michael · The Pentagon's AI Plan + Behind the Anthropic Fight — With Under Secretary of War Emil Michael · Apr 15, 2026 · at 31:24
Emil Michael, Under Secretary of War, addresses the cultural divide and contracting standoff between the Pentagon and AI safety lab Anthropic.
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“The image that they might have, and this is not unique to them, of the Department of War or the administration, is that we don't have the safeguards that we do, that we're not paying attention to sort of the risks. We are, if not more so than most Americans would understand that we do because of the procedures that have built up over decades and decades of being careful and smart about what we do. And so, That culture clash to the extent is, you know, we call it a lack of understanding, a lack of confidence, lack of trust in us and our ability to do things in a way that's consistent with our values as a country and the laws that are passed”
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