9.1 - Foreign Policy
 Prof. Jack Reilly
 S2026

🧭 Reorienting and Taking Stock
•	We are halfway through the class!
•	Today, we’ll talk about geopolitics and foreign policy, but also recenter ourselves after the first half of the course (and after the week off).
•	Where have we been, and what have we learned?

•	As we make our transition from talking about the philosophy, technology, and development of AI to talking about implications and impacts, what has been surprising?

•	Where do we most need policy, and what areas of AI most call out for intervention or support?
🧠 Think
•	What is AI’s role in national defense and security?
•	What responsibility do AI firms have to their “home” countries? Are they like defense contractors? Should the government have a special role in controlling AI technology and approving AI military technology sales?
📖 Read
•	Horowitz et al, “AI, the International Balance of Power, and National Security Strategy”. The Oxford Handbook of AI Governance
•	Make sure to be familiar with the Anthropic/Department of Defense story for class discussion (see possible sources below).
🎧 Listen:
•	Nothing required, but see the two (optional) recommended podcasts on Anthropic and the Pentagon under “🌐 Browse”
🌐 Browse:
•	The recent Anthropic/Pentagon dustup is relevant and interesting from a variety of dimensions.
–	The core story:
•	“Anthropic Refuses Pentagon’s Proposal to Loosen AI Guardrails. Wall Street Journal.
•	OpenAI announces Pentagon deal after Trump bans Anthropic. NPR.
•	Pentagon Officially Notifies Anthropic It Is a ‘Supply Chain Risk’. New York Times.
•	A ‘Fight About Vibes’ Drove the Pentagon’s Breakup with Anthropic. Wall Street Journal.
•	Anthropic Sues U.S. Defense Department, Pete Hegseth for Targeting the Company. Wall Street Journal.
•	A Guide to the Pentagon’s Dance With Anthropic and OpenAI. New York Times.
–	A counter take: Anthropic and Alignment, 2026. Stratechery blog.
–	Side effects:
•	The Pentagon-Anthropic Spat Is Good for China Wall Street Journal.
•	Anthropic’s Standoff With the Pentagon Shakes Up AI Talent Race Wall Street Journal.
•	OpenAI and Google employees rush to Anthropic’s defense in DOD lawsuit. Tech Crunch.
–	Two podcasts:
•	Dean Ball, 2026. “Why the Pentagon Wants to Destroy Anthropic”, The Ezra Klein Show, New York Times. Also see Youtube link
•	Mike Masnick, 2026. “Anthropic doesn’t trust the Pentagon, and neither should you”, Decoder with Nilay Patel, The Verge. Also see Youtube video link
•	“What Google’s Return to Defense AI Means”. Defense One.
•	“Elon Musk Moves Against the Russians in Ukraine”. The Atlantic.
Tip
•	“📖 Read”, “🎧 Listen”, and/or “📺 Watch” items are required content for the day, and should be read/heard/watched before class on that day.
•	“🌐 Browse” items should be briefly looked at but do not need to be read deeply unless you want to
•	“📚 Additional Resources” do not need to be looked at; they are there to serve, if useful, as further references for your debates, final projects, and general edification later.