<![CDATA[The Frontier]]>https://www.frontier.thefai.orghttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XhBM!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff0d8d61c-06e7-443f-9c40-c85691fddff2_1280x1280.pngThe Frontierhttps://www.frontier.thefai.orgSubstackTue, 15 Sep 2026 07:09:58 GMT<![CDATA[Head in the Clouds with Gavin Fry and Isaiah Menning]]>https://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/head-in-the-clouds-with-gavin-fryhttps://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/head-in-the-clouds-with-gavin-fryFri, 04 Sep 2026 15:40:12 GMTTim Hwang and Rachel Reses are joined by FAI Research Fellows Gavin Fry and Isaiah Menning to discuss the current state of weather modification science and technology. We cover: how to get the government to keep pace with new research in weather modification, why Utah’s investment in cloud seeding increased twentyfold in recent years, how conservatives should think about mankind’s relationship with nature, and whether we need a jumbo cloud chamber installed at a national lab.

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]]><![CDATA[Robots and Reindustrialization with Amelia Michael]]>https://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/robots-and-reindustrialization-withhttps://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/robots-and-reindustrialization-withThu, 27 Aug 2026 01:28:01 GMTTim Hwang and Rachel Reses are joined by FAI Non-Resident Fellow and Center for Technology and Statecraft Research Fellow Amelia Michael to talk about the economic and political impact from the coming wave of robotics. We cover: why no one really seems to know what a robot is, scaling laws, how quickly we might reindustrialize, whether robot competition is like AI competition, and what being inside the factory of the future might feel like.

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]]><![CDATA[Data Center Politics with Avery James]]>https://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/data-center-politics-with-avery-jameshttps://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/data-center-politics-with-avery-jamesFri, 21 Aug 2026 15:06:47 GMTTim Hwang and Rachel Reses are joined by Avery James, Communications Director at Echelon Insights, to talk about what the latest polling reveals about the politics of the data center. We cover: why data centers have become a special target of hatred in American politics, how the frontier labs should navigate 2028, the ethics of yelling at Mark Zuckerberg, and what a surging DSA bodes for the future of AGI.

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]]><![CDATA[For Flock's Sake with Charles Fain Lehman and Autumn Billings]]>https://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/for-flocks-sake-with-charles-fainhttps://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/for-flocks-sake-with-charles-fainThu, 13 Aug 2026 17:53:37 GMTTim Hwang and Rachel Reses are joined by Manhattan Institute Senior Fellow Charles Fain Lehman and Reason Assistant Editor Autumn Billings to sort out the merits of the recent backlash against Flock’s automatic license plate readers (ALPRs). We cover: what’s driving the animus against Flock, whether police departments can minimize the privacy risks and maximize the safety benefits of ALPRs, how to weigh the tradeoffs between efficiency and transparency in law enforcement reporting, and whether traffic surveillance will ruin the thrill of low-level speeding on the highway.

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]]><![CDATA[Hack to the Future with Adam Gluck and Soham Mehta]]>https://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/hack-to-the-future-with-adam-gluckhttps://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/hack-to-the-future-with-adam-gluckFri, 07 Aug 2026 16:54:02 GMTTim Hwang and Rachel Reses are joined by Copia Automation CEO Adam Gluck and FAI Research Fellow Soham Mehta to reflect on recent cybersecurity threats. We cover: how much the OpenAI-HuggingFace incident and Iranian wastewater attacks relied on advanced offensive hacking capabilities versus an underdeveloped “defense,” why cyber is the most obvious attack vector for a rogue AI, what holds critical infrastructure systems back from reducing their vulnerability to cyberattacks, and how the tax code can incentivize investment in securing operational tech.

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]]><![CDATA[From the Government and Here to Help with Kevin Hawickhorst]]>https://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/from-the-government-and-here-to-helphttps://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/from-the-government-and-here-to-helpThu, 30 Jul 2026 16:57:41 GMTTim Hwang and Rachel Reses are joined by FAI Research Fellow Kevin Hawickhorst to learn about good governance through the lens of his new paper, “Competent Bureaucracy: Rebuilding State Capacity.” We cover: how managerial responsibility in the executive branch was eroded during the 60s and 70s, what kind of tough questions the government used to ask its managers, whether the political right should take pride in its talent for saying no to The Groups, and why it matters whether it seems cool to be serious.

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]]><![CDATA[The Rocket's Red Glare with Andrew Fagal]]>https://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/the-rockets-red-glare-with-andrewhttps://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/the-rockets-red-glare-with-andrewFri, 24 Jul 2026 14:33:04 GMTTim Hwang and Rachel Reses are joined by historian Andrew Fagal to reflect on America’s tradition of technological innovation in light of America 250. We cover: whether innovators were more willing to take risks and fail during the Founding Era, why Congress used to reward inventors for blowing things up in the Potomac River, whether President Jefferson would have been excited about autonomy in warfare, and how America’s national anthem is actually about military engineering.

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]]><![CDATA[Rallying the Horde with Emmet Penney]]>https://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/rallying-the-horde-with-emmet-penneyhttps://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/rallying-the-horde-with-emmet-penneyFri, 17 Jul 2026 17:20:05 GMTTim Hwang and Rachel Reses are joined by newly minted FAI Director of Energy & Infrastructure Emmet Penney to talk through his vision for this massive bucket of FAI’s work. We cover: how our infrastructure is held back by permitting hangups (and also much more), why the AI industry has been forced to switch from “web thinking” to “infrastructure thinking,” whether people perceive the existence of essential utilities as a challenge to their freedom, and why powerful business magnates have to settle for being less cool than rock stars.

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]]><![CDATA[VibeChamps with Brooke Bowman and Samuel Hammond]]>https://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/vibechamps-with-brooke-bowman-andhttps://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/vibechamps-with-brooke-bowman-andWed, 08 Jul 2026 18:39:46 GMTTim Hwang and Rachel Reses are joined by Vibecamp Chief Enthusiasm Officer Brooke Bowman and FAI Director of Artificial Intelligence & Chief Economist Samuel Hammond to talk through this summer’s Vibecamp gathering. We cover: how it became a non-tech event that lots of tech people love, what it means to integrate science and technology with the “woo” parts of life, how our friends in AI synthesize rationalism and postrationalism, and what Vibecamp has in common with pop-up cities, the Renaissance Faire, and the Borscht Belt.

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]]><![CDATA[Everything Is (Quantum) Computer with Prineha Narang]]>https://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/everything-is-quantum-computer-withhttps://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/everything-is-quantum-computer-withWed, 01 Jul 2026 20:40:42 GMTTim Hwang and Rachel Reses are joined by FAI Non-Resident Senior Fellow and UCLA quantum scientist Prineha Narang to unpack the White House’s recent quantum-related executive orders. We cover: what the “offensive” and “defensive” game look like in quantum, whether strong government action is a blessing or a curse for the industry, how the executive branch cultivates technical expertise, and whether President Trump might be partial to quantum computers because of their gold and chrome sheen.

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]]><![CDATA[The Middle and Not-So-Middle East with Mohammed Soliman]]>https://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/the-middle-and-not-so-middle-easthttps://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/the-middle-and-not-so-middle-eastMon, 22 Jun 2026 14:27:40 GMTTim Hwang is joined by Middle East Institute senior fellow Mohammed Soliman to chat about his new book, West Asia: A New American Grand Strategy in the Middle East. We cover: why the Indo-Pacific may be America’s most important strategic theater, whether diverse international partnerships will be enough to balance Chinese and Russian power in the region, how we keep getting sucked into quagmires in the Middle East, and whether the fact that the U.S. didn’t open the Strait of Hormuz by force is a blackpill on our military capacity.

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]]><![CDATA[ChatCCP with Michael Sobolik and Joshua Levine]]>https://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/chatccp-with-michael-sobolik-andhttps://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/chatccp-with-michael-sobolik-andFri, 12 Jun 2026 16:04:36 GMTTim Hwang and Rachel Reses are joined by Hudson Institute senior fellow Michael Sobolik and FAI Director of Technology and Statecraft Joshua Levine to unpack the new OpenAI report on Chinese covert influence ops targeting U.S. tech policy. We cover: why some Americans find anti-data center discourse compelling in the first place, how China hawks can expose CCP efforts to sow distrust in US institutions without dismissing homegrown anxieties, what else we’d like to learn about the reach and audience of the campaigns OpenAI describes, and whether America should unleash our most unhinged poasters on our adversaries as vengeance.

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]]><![CDATA[Pox Populi with Andrew Snyder-Beattie, Charlie Petty, and Josh Wentzel]]>https://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/pox-populi-with-andrew-snyder-beattiehttps://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/pox-populi-with-andrew-snyder-beattieTue, 26 May 2026 16:02:10 GMTTim Hwang is joined by Coefficient Giving’s biosecurity lead Andrew Snyder-Beattie, Global Health Investment Corporation alum Charlie Petty, and FAI Senior Fellow Josh Wentzel to take the temperature of the biosecurity field. We cover: why biodefense progress is lagging even in the physical world, what incentives hold investors back from pouring funds into biosecurity, what we can learn from Operation Warp Speed and other past public health initiatives, and where there’s room for optimism when it comes to global health.

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]]><![CDATA[Going Nuclear with Emmet Penney]]>https://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/going-nuclear-with-emmet-penneyhttps://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/going-nuclear-with-emmet-penneyMon, 11 May 2026 15:35:15 GMTTim Hwang is joined by FAI Senior Fellow and Nuclear Barbarians podcast host Emmet Penney to reflect on nuclear regulators’ new approach to licensing. We cover: how the Nuclear Regulatory Commission became more fixated on regulating nuclear projects than promoting them, what explains the current political momentum around nuclear energy, why a competent NRC is essential for overseeing such a powerful dual-use technology, and how to “make nuclear normal again.”

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Emmet’s recent article with The Free Press, “Will America Finally Let Itself Build Nuclear Plants?”:

The Free Press
Will America Finally Let Itself Build Nuclear Plants?
America built the first civilian nuclear power reactor in the world in three years. We started on it in 1954 and were done by the end of 1957. Half a century later, just doing the paperwork to get a reactor design approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the government body responsible for overseeing this process, took the company trying to build Georgia’s Vogtle reactors…
Read more
5 months ago · 167 likes · 165 comments · Emmet Penney

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]]><![CDATA[Into the Gundo with Jakob Diepenbrock and Joshua Levine]]>https://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/into-the-gundo-with-jakob-diepenbrockhttps://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/into-the-gundo-with-jakob-diepenbrockWed, 29 Apr 2026 14:25:02 GMTTim Hwang and Rachel Reses are joined by Discipulus Ventures founder Jakob Diepenbrock and FAI Director of Technology and Statecraft Joshua Levine to explain the hard tech boom in El Segundo, CA. We cover: what makes a city attractive to innovators, whether building in the physical world can ever really be considered a “trend,” what kind of founder gravitates toward the Gundo, and why using longevity science to create an immortal Palmer Luckey just might be the key to never becoming the stodgy establishment.

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]]><![CDATA[Bodies in Spaces with Bart Hutchins and Will O'Brien]]>https://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/bodies-in-spaces-with-bart-hutchinshttps://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/bodies-in-spaces-with-bart-hutchinsTue, 21 Apr 2026 14:47:47 GMTTim Hwang and Rachel Reses are joined by Butterworth’s restauranteur Bart Hutchins and Hamilton Society and Ulysses co-founder Will O’Brien to chat about the intimate ties between politics, architecture, and social gathering. We cover: DC’s legacy of French-adjacent restaurants where politicians can see and be seen, why San Franciscans are gravitating to a formal debate society, whether culture is downstream of policy or vice versa, and whether the cure to male loneliness is a cig among friends.

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]]><![CDATA[Can We Actually Mobilize? with Madeline Hart]]>https://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/can-we-actually-mobilize-with-madelinehttps://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/can-we-actually-mobilize-with-madelineFri, 10 Apr 2026 21:16:26 GMTTim Hwang is joined by Palantir’s Madeline Hart, coauthor of Mobilize: How to Reboot the American Industrial Base and Stop World War III, to explore the nexus between the message of Mobilize and FAI’s new research on revitalizing American defense. We cover: why the U.S. is using dusty old military infrastructure in our foreign entanglements, what kind of personality is best equipped to fix the defense acquisitions bureaucracy, why defense tech history is great reading material if you like gossip, and what we have to gain from people blowing stuff up in the desert or their backyard.

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Mobilize: How to Reboot the American Industrial Base and Stop World War III, by Shyam Sankar and Madeline Hart:

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Mobilize/Shyam-Sankar/9798895655160

Going on Wartime Footing: Five Big Reforms for American Defense, Tim’s latest paper with FAI:

https://www.thefai.org/posts/going-on-wartime-footing-five-big-reforms-for-american-defense

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]]><![CDATA[Shor's Thing with Prineha Narang]]>https://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/shors-thing-with-prineha-naranghttps://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/shors-thing-with-prineha-narangFri, 03 Apr 2026 13:09:50 GMTTim Hwang is joined by FAI Nonresident Senior Fellow and UCLA quantum scientist Prineha Narang to react to new research showing that quantum computing might ruin cryptography way sooner than we think. We cover: when scientists might achieve fault-tolerant quantum computing, how careful you should be with your crypto wallet, how long it’ll take for quantum scientists to be able to brag about their work at Thanksgiving, and whether “Q Day” is our generation’s Y2K.

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More on Prineha’s lab at UCLA:

https://naranglab.ucla.edu/

“Safeguarding cryptocurrency by disclosing quantum vulnerabilities responsibly,” the Google Quantum AI paper we mentioned:

https://research.google/blog/safeguarding-cryptocurrency-by-disclosing-quantum-vulnerabilities-responsibly/

“Shor’s algorithm is possible with as few as 10,000 reconfigurable atomic qubits,” the Oratomic paper we mentioned:

https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.28627

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]]><![CDATA[Who's Monitoring the Monitors? with Luke Hogg]]>https://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/whos-monitoring-the-monitors-withhttps://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/whos-monitoring-the-monitors-withFri, 27 Mar 2026 13:00:13 GMTTim Hwang and Rachel Reses are joined by FAI Senior Fellow Luke Hogg to monitor the “monitoring the situation” situation: what went wrong with Polymarket’s “Situation Room” pop-up bar, why people want to watch bleak and violent events unfold in real time, whether amateur analysts are getting too good at flight-tracking, and whether a medieval peasant would be more bowled over by a Dorito or your GitHub dashboard.

Follow along with us—

The clip of Maj. Claire Randolph discussing the challenge of maintaining opsec with widespread access to the open internet:

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]]><![CDATA[Filibusted with James Wallner and Matt Glassman]]>https://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/filibusted-with-james-wallner-andhttps://www.frontier.thefai.org/p/filibusted-with-james-wallner-andFri, 20 Mar 2026 12:50:34 GMTTim Hwang is joined by FAI Senior Fellow James Wallner and Matt’s Five Points newsletter publisher Matt Glassman to explain the debate over how GOP senators might handle the SAVE America Act: how cloture and the talking filibuster differ, how obscure procedural rules can mold the shape of debate, what might happen if senators realized they could just do things, and why members of Congress talk like there’s a magical being roaming the halls and passing bills.

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Matt Glassman’s newsletter:

Matt’s Five Points
A newsletter at the intersection of politics and political science
By Matt Glassman

James Wallner’s recent writings on the SAVE America Act fight:

https://tomklingenstein.com/the-save-america-act-fight-is-political-theater/

https://www.legislativeprocedure.com/blog/2026/3/16/republicans-dont-need-cloture-to-overcome-save-america-act-filibuster

https://www.legislativeprocedure.com/blog/2026/3/17/senate-rules-can-limit-talking-filibuster

https://www.legislativeprocedure.com/blog/2026/3/18/house-makes-ending-talking-filibuster-easier

https://www.legislativeprocedure.com/blog/2026/3/19/how-republicans-can-break-democrats-save-america-act-filibuster

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And Apple Podcasts:

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