Neural Newscast

[00:00] Nina Park: Welcome to Model Behavior. We examine how AI systems are built, deployed, and operated
[00:07] Nina Park: in real professional environments. Joining me today is our correspondent, Thatcher.
[00:13] Nina Park: Thanks, Nina. Today we start with a significant infrastructure expansion for Google Cloud.
[00:18] Nina Park: Google and Liberty Global have announced a five-year strategic partnership that puts Gemini AI models at the center of the European Telecom Operators Digital Transformation.
[00:30] Nina Park: The deal covers approximately 80 million fixed and mobile connections, including Virgin Media O2 in the UK and Telanet in Belgium.
[00:39] Nina Park: Satcher, it's notable that the integration spans both customer-facing products and internal network operations.
[00:47] Nina Park: This follows a broader trend of hyperscalers moving deeper into the telecom stack.
[00:52] Nina Park: However, we're also seeing a shift in the relationship between major providers and their model partners.
[00:58] Nina Park: Microsoft AI chief Mustafa Salomon confirmed recently that Microsoft is pursuing true self-sufficiency by developing internal models to reduce its dependence on open AI.
[01:09] Nina Park: Right. That shift towards self-sufficiency is a critical strategic move for Microsoft as they eye the enterprise market.
[01:17] Nina Park: While they continue to offer open AI-powered features, we're seeing the massive scale of
[01:22] Nina Park: their current deployments.
[01:24] Nina Park: For example, the Australian bank Westpac recently rolled out Microsoft 365 co-pilot to its
[01:30] Nina Park: entire global workforce of 35,000 people.
[01:34] Nina Park: Nina, this is currently one of the largest corporate AI assistant rollouts to date.
[01:39] Nina Park: It certainly demonstrates the reach Microsoft currently holds.
[01:43] Nina Park: But our lead story involves a growing rift between the public sector and AI safety-focused labs.
[01:51] Nina Park: Joining us today is Chad Thompson, who brings a systems-level perspective on AI, automation, and security.
[01:58] Nina Park: Chad, what's driving the current tension between Anthropic and the Pentagon?
[02:04] Thatcher Collins: Nina, it centers on usage policies versus operational utility.
[02:09] Thatcher Collins: Reports today indicate the Pentagon may cut ties with Anthropic, potentially avoiding a $200 million contract.
[02:16] Thatcher Collins: The friction stems from the revelation that Claude was used in the capture of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela.
[02:23] Thatcher Collins: Anthropic CEO Dario Amo Dei has been vocal about restricting AI from lethal operations or mass surveillance.
[02:31] Thatcher Collins: But the Defense Department is demanding models they can use for all lawful warfighting purposes.
[02:37] Chad Thompson: The conflict is quite public.
[02:39] Chad Thompson: Defense Secretary Pete Hegsath recently noted that the agency will prioritize models that don't restrict how the military fights wars.
[02:49] Chad Thompson: Chad, it seems the Pentagon is already looking toward alternatives like XAI or Palantir's
[02:55] Chad Thompson: integrated solutions, if Anthropic maintains these hard lines on usage.
[03:00] Nina Park: Amadei recently argued in an essay that democracies should use AI for defense in ways that do
[03:08] Nina Park: not mirror autocratic adversaries.
[03:11] Nina Park: This rift underscores the challenge for AI labs trying to balance commercial safety missions
[03:19] Nina Park: with the high-stakes requirements of national security contracts.
[03:24] Nina Park: Thatcher, it appears this will be a defining debate for the 2026 defense budget.
[03:31] Nina Park: Thank you for listening to Model Behavior, a neural newscast editorial segment.
[03:37] Nina Park: For more technical details on these stories, visit mb.neuralnewscast.com.
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