The United States must act decisively to maintain its global leadership in the face of rising challenges from the People's Republic of China (PRC) and other authoritarian powers. This memo outlines five key objectives to ensure U.S. victory, focusing on:

• Expand American-led technology platforms globally: The United States should secure critical technology platforms by partnering with allies and launch an American "tech package" initiative to counter the PRC's Digital Silk Road and demonstrate that the U.S. can offer more than just cheap infrastructure.
• Integrate the private sector into foreign policy: The U.S. government needs a new paradigm of public-private alignment to leverage the reach, ingenuity, and resources of the American technology sector as critical enablers of U.S. foreign policy to advance national interests in the global competition.
• Reignite the Allies+Maximum Pressure campaign: The United States must organize its allies and partners to curtail adversaries' access to critical technologies and protect shared technology ecosystems, using offensive tools like joint export controls and defensive measures like reciprocal trade policies.
• Champion a 'Disruptive Freedom' agenda: To push back against authoritarian influence, the United States should invest in technologies that promote free expression in closed environments, build coalitions with emerging democracies on championing new ideas of freedom, and develop a whole-of-government strategic communications approach.
• Transform U.S. foreign policy institutions: Transformational change is needed at the State Department and across the foreign policy apparatus, including appointing a Presidential Envoy for Tech Competition, restructuring the Department to put technology at the core, and building a new "joint" National Security Service workforce.

Key questions addressed:

1. How can the United States push back against the PRC's growing tech spheres of influence?
2. What new public-private partnerships, talent pipelines, and institutional reforms are needed to leverage American innovation for international advantage?
3. How can the U.S. harness emerging technologies to champion freedom and counter authoritarian influence in the global battle of ideas?

Memos to the President Podcast is a product of the Special Competitive Studies Project.  

We argue, the United States must act decisively to maintain its lead in the critical emerging field of developing Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). This memo outlines key steps to ensure U.S. dominance in AGI, focusing on:

• Accelerating AGI development: Launching "moonshot" programs akin to the Apollo Program, Manhattan Project, and Operation Warp Speed to drive rapid innovation.
• Securing necessary resources: Implementing robust short and long-term funding strategies and infrastructure investments.
• Establishing offensive and defensive strategies: Protecting U.S. AGI technologies while mitigating potential threats.

Key questions addressed:

• How can the United States maintain its edge in the face of China's growing AGI capabilities?
• What organizational structures and funding mechanisms will best support AGI development?
• How can the United States proactively address the national security implications of AGI?

Read the full Memo here: https://www.scsp.ai/reports/memostothepresident/artificial-general-intelligence/

Memos to the President Podcast is a product of the Special Competitive Studies Project.  

In this first episode of Memos to the President, Eric Schmidt, in conversation with Ylli Bajraktari at SCSP, discusses his new book "Genesis" co-authored with Henry Kissinger and Craig Mundie. He emphasizes the rapid advancement of AI, particularly highlighting the development of agents capable of complex tasks and the potential for AI to revolutionize programming and mathematics. Schmidt stresses the urgency for the US to lead in the AI race against China, emphasizing the need for a national initiative to accelerate AI development and ensure the US maintains its competitive edge. He also discusses the implications of AI for warfare, drawing on lessons from current conflicts, and makes the case for increased autonomy and affordability in defense technology.

Memos to the President Podcast is a product of the Special Competitive Studies Project.  

Music: Grand Design by Stephen Keech

Memos to the President Podcast is a product of the Special Competitive Studies Project.