Why it matters: Anduril, other companies in defense tech, and growing numbers of people within the Pentagon itself are increasingly adopting a new worldview: A future “great power” conflict—military jargon for a global war involving multiple countries—will not be won by the entity with the most advanced drones or firepower, or even the cheapest firepower. It will be won by whoever can sort through and share information the fastest. The Pentagon is betting lots of energy and money that AI—despite its flaws and risks—will be what puts the US and its allies ahead in that fight. Read more here.
Bits and Bytes
Bluesky has an impersonator problem
The platform’s rise has brought with it a surge of crypto scammers, as my colleague Melissa Heikkilä experienced firsthand. (MIT Technology Review)
Tech’s elite make large donations to Trump ahead of his inauguration
Leaders in Big Tech, who have been lambasted by Donald Trump, have made sizable donations to his inauguration committee. (The Washington Post)
Inside the premiere of the first commercially streaming AI-generated movies
The films, according to writer Jason Koebler, showed the telltale flaws of AI-generated video: dead eyes, vacant expressions, unnatural movements, and a reliance on voice-overs, since dialogue doesn’t work well. The company behind the films is confident viewers will stomach them anyway. (404 Media)
Meta asked California’s attorney general to stop OpenAI from becoming for-profit
