Techstrong Gang - 2/26/2025

On today’s Techstrong Gang, Mike Vizard, Jon Swartz, Fred Wilmot and Gina Rosenthal examine the controversy surrounding AI safety after Anthropic reportedly softened its guardrails under pressure tied to U.S. military interests. What does this signal about the intersection of national security and AI governance? The discussion then turns to a claim that AI service providers could be required to build or fund their own energy systems to support surging compute demand. As electricity use climbs, who should bear the cost of powering the AI boom? Finally, the gang explores an apparent effort by the Trump administration to persuade governments, particularly in Europe, not to exclude U.S.-based technology companies from digital sovereignty initiatives. From military alignment to energy infrastructure to global lobbying, this episode examines the evolving power structure behind AI.