In his keynote address at the ABA’s 36th Annual Review of the Field of National Security Law CLE Conference, New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman makes an urgent case for rethinking how we manage technology and our relationships with one another. Joined in conversation by Glenn S. Gerstell, Chair of the Standing Committee on Law and National Security, Friedman explores AI’s extraordinary promise and the dangers of moving faster than our ability to govern it. Their discussion spans U.S.–China competition, the spread of powerful technologies, and lessons from decades of conflict in the Middle East. Drawing on a lifetime of reporting, Friedman asks what it will take for rival nations to recognize their shared stakes and work together before a crisis forces their hand.

Thomas L. Friedman is a foreign affairs columnist for The New York Times, a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner, and the author of seven bestselling books, including The World Is Flat and From Beirut to Jerusalem.

Glenn S. Gerstell is Chair of the ABA Standing Committee on Law and National Security, a Senior Adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and former General Counsel of the National Security Agency.

Recorded live on September 29th at the Army and Navy Club in Washington, D.C., this episode brings together host Elisa Poteat, Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan, USAF (Ret.), former DCSA Director David Cattler, and Professor Gary Corn to explore this changing landscape. Drawing on their experience in military AI, intelligence, and national security law, the speakers offer perspectives on what these advances mean for defense and military operations. Together, they consider how national security strategy and law can keep pace as emerging technologies reshape the battlefield.

Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan, USAF (Ret.), was the inaugural director of the Department of Defense’s Joint Artificial Intelligence Center and the founding director of Project Maven, pioneering the use of AI in military operations and intelligence.

David Cattler is a senior strategic advisor and founder of Ironhelm Works who previously served as director of the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency and NATO Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence and Security.

Professor Gary Corn is director of the Technology, Law & Security Program at American University, and an adjunct professor of cyber and national security law who previously served as general counsel to U.S. Cyber Command.

Elisa Poteat and Standing Committee Chair Glenn Gerstell preview the 36th Annual Review of National Security Law CLE Conference, AI and Disruptive Technologies: Transforming National Security and the Law. The conference will feature top experts from legal and policy fields discussing AI safety, geopolitical competition, emerging warfare, quantum computing, election security, and more. With keynote conversations, networking opportunities, and up to 10 hours of CLE credit available, the conference offers a chance to engage directly with the issues shaping the future of national security law.

Don't miss out! Early bird registration is still open for the 36th Annual Review of National Security Law CLE Conference – Oct. 8th-9th, at the Omni Shoreham hotel in Washington, DC

Glenn S. Gerstell is Chair of the ABA Standing Committee on Law and National Security, a Senior Adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and former General Counsel of the National Security Agency

The U.S. and China are both racing to advance artificial intelligence, but they may not be running the same race. Graham Webster, research scholar at Stanford University’s Center for International Security and Cooperation, joins Elisa Poteat to examine China’s rapidly evolving AI ecosystem, from open-weight reasoning models and semiconductor constraints to Beijing’s approach to regulation and risk. They explore what China means by keeping AI “under human control,” how Chinese and American policymakers perceive AI safety differently, and whether competition between the two countries is obscuring a much more complicated technological landscape.

Graham Webster is a research scholar in Stanford University’s Program on Geopolitics, Technology, and Governance and editor-in-chief of the DigiChina Project, where his work focuses on technology policy in China and U.S.–China relations.

References:

• Graham Webster, “Will China Crack Down on Open-Weight Models?” Tech Policy Press, August 17, 2026
• Graham Webster, Here It Comes, Substack
• Graham Webster, Here It Comes with Graham Webster, Apple Podcasts
• Xi Jinping, “Joining Hands to Build a Just and Equitable System for Global AI Governance,” 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, July 17, 2026
• Dario Amodei, “We Must Pace the Frontier,” September 2026
• State Council of the People’s Republic of China, “New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan,” July 20, 2017
• “Internet Information Service Algorithmic Recommendation Management Provisions,” effective March 1, 2022
• The Wall Street Journal, “China Also Thinks AI Could Kill Us. But First, It Wants to Match the U.S.,” September 14, 2026

What happens when technological change begins moving faster than the institutions designed to govern it? This week, Elisa is joined by Sam Hammond, Director of Artificial Intelligence Policy and Chief Economist at the Foundation for American Innovation, to examine AI as a potentially transformative technological regime change, from autonomous agents and scientific discovery to regulatory disruption, workforce displacement, and new national security risks. They consider how policymakers might preserve AI’s enormous potential while confronting the increasingly difficult question of how to keep its most powerful capabilities under control.

Sam Hammond is Director of Artificial Intelligence Policy and Chief Economist at the Foundation for American Innovation, where his research focuses on artificial intelligence and the institutional impact of emerging technologies.

References:

• Register for the 36th Annual Review of National Security Law CLE Conference – Oct. 8th-9th, at the Omni Shoreham hotel in Washington, DC
• Samuel Hammond, “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”. Second Best. August 12, 2026.
• Samuel Hammond, “Europe Blunders on AI”. City Journal. March 22, 2024.
• Samuel Hammond, “AI and Leviathan”. Second Best series. August 23, 2023.
• Anthropic, “Responsible Scaling Policy”
• Utah Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy, “Doctronic AI Prescription Renewal Pilot”
• Robert C. Allen, “Engels’ Pause: Technical Change, Capital Accumulation, and Inequality in the British Industrial Revolution” (2009)
• Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash (1992)
• Octavia E. Butler, Parable of the Sower (1993)

Can private companies help the U.S. government fight cybercrime without creating new national security risks of their own? Michael McLaughlin, author of Battlefield Cyber, joins Elisa to examine the new Presidential Memorandum, Expanding Capabilities to Combat Transnational Cyber-Enabled Crime, and what it could mean for the private sector’s role in cyber surveillance and cyber effects operations against transnational criminal organizations. They explore the difficult questions surrounding oversight, attribution, liability, escalation, and the targeting of U.S. persons before turning to the latest national security headlines, from Meta’s multibillion-dollar settlement and the race for critical minerals to tensions in the Middle East and China’s increasingly visible push into AI and advanced robotics.

Michael McLaughlin is an attorney at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, author of Battlefield Cyber, and a former senior counterintelligence advisor to U.S. Cyber Command.

References:

• Presidential Memorandum – Expanding Capabilities to Combat Transnational Cyber-Enabled Crime. August 12, 2026.
• Computer Fraud and Abuse Act
• Executive Order 12333 – United States Intelligence Activities
• National Security Presidential Memorandum 13 (NSPM-13)
• Article 51 of the United Nations Charter
• U.S. Constitution, Article I – Letters of Marque and Reprisal

This week, Elisa opens with a roundup of the latest national security news, including developments in Ukraine and Iran, emerging AI and biosecurity concerns, quantum readiness, and growing competition between U.S. and Chinese AI models. From there, the episode returns to a recent conversation between Elisa and former NSA Cybersecurity Director Rob Joyce, offering a broader perspective on how the national security community is adapting to rapid technological change. Drawing on his 34-year career at the NSA, Joyce offers a measured perspective on where the most significant risks are emerging, how government and industry can respond, and what it will take to stay ahead of the next generation of threats.

Rob Joyce is the founder of Joyce Cyber LLC and a former senior NSA cybersecurity leader who served more than 34 years at the agency, including as head of Tailored Access Operations and the Cybersecurity Directorate.

References:

Meta – The Future Is for Everyone

The Wall Street Journal – Iran’s Secret Plan to Escalate the War

Financial Times – How Ukrainian Drone Expertise Is Helping Colombian Narcos

Arc Institute – Evo 2 and AI-Designed Bacteriophages

Makkah Joint Defence Agreement – Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan

Financial Times – OpenAI and Anthropic in Price War as Chinese AI Rivals Gain Ground

Nikkei Asia – Five US Tech Giants’ Hidden Debts Soar to $1.65tn on Opaque AI Funding

Post Quantum Cryptography Strategy. Department of War. April 16 2026

E.O. 14413: Ushering in the Next Frontier of Quantum Innovation

Should lawmakers move quickly to regulate AI, or continue giving innovation room to run? This week, Elisa is joined by Jamil Jaffer, Founder and Executive Director of the National Security Institute at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University, to examine the evolving debate over AI regulation in the United States. Together, they discuss where targeted safeguards may be necessary, the national security risks posed by Chinese AI models, and whether Congress can realistically keep pace with rapid technological change. They also consider how the U.S. can address AI’s risks while preserving innovation and maintaining its competitive edge.

Jamil Jaffer is the Founder and Executive Director of the National Security Institute at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School, where he also serves as an Assistant Professor of Law and leads programs focused on national security, cyber, and intelligence law.

References:

• The Great American AI Act
• White House – Winning the Race: America’s AI Action Plan
• Sen. Mark Kelly’s AI and Defense Legislation
• EU Artificial Intelligence Act
• CrowdStrike Research on DeepSeek Security Vulnerabilities
• Booz Allen — What’s in America’s Code?