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Emil Michael

Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering, US Department of War

Search every verified Emil Michael interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Emil Michael, Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering and the Department of War's chief technology officer, has recently discussed the Pentagon's efforts to accelerate the adoption of commercial technology, including AI and drones, and to reform how the military buys and builds systems. He has spoken about the need to transition from Cold War-era equipment and to prepare for future conflicts, citing lessons from the war in Ukraine, which he said demonstrated the importance of cheap, attritable, unmanned systems and mass production. Michael has also addressed the potential impact of the midterm elections on the defense budget, noting that a divided government could shift priorities toward domestic spending. Michael has been a central figure in the government's relationship with AI companies, particularly its dispute with Anthropic. He has stated that the principle of human judgment prevailing over models is written into policy and that working with a company whose models could override human operators is unacceptable, describing such a stance as a supply chain risk. He has also discussed the new superintelligence task force, which he co-leads, and has expressed skepticism about what he characterized as scare tactics around AI safety, arguing that the US must win the AI race against China while ensuring risks are managed. He has advocated for shortening qualification and certification timelines for defense contractors to speed up capital formation and innovation.

Recent appearances

  • Inside the Pentagon's Tech Overhaul | WSJ

    The Pentagon is racing to get AI, drones and other commercial technology into the hands of troops faster. Emil Michael, the former Uber executive who is now the Pentagon's chief technology officer, discusses how he is changing the way the military buys and builds technology and its increasingly complex relationship with Silicon Valley. #PentagonNews #Military #WSJ

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  • Senator Banks Hosts 5th Annual Northeast Indiana Defense Summit (Day 1)

    U.S. Senator Jim Banks hosts the 5th Annual Northeast Indiana Defense Summit in Fort Wayne from Oct. 27 to Oct. 28. Featured Speakers on Day 1: Todd Huston, speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives Emil Michael, under secretary of war for research and engineering Mike Dodd, assistant secretary of war for critical technologies Maj. Gen. Lawrence “Larry” Muennich, adjutant general of Indiana Rear Adm. Michael Richman, Strategic Systems Programs Industry representatives from Kratos Defense, Skydio, ACMI Group, SpektreWorks, and other organizations -- 🍀 Support NTD 👉 https://donate…

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  • The Pentagon’s CTO Explains the Anthropic Rift and Superintelligence Task Force

    Palo Alto Networks CIO Meerah Rajavel talks with TITV Host Akash Pasricha about securing AI agents and the risks of AI-generated code. We also talk with Modal Co-Founder and CEO Erik Bernhardsson about the company's $750 million funding round, $15.75 billion valuation and $1 billion annualized revenue run rate, and MoffettNathanson Managing Director Nick Del Deo about CoreWeave's debt, financing needs and power constraints. Lastly, Pentagon CTO Emil Michael joins The Information's Amir Efrati and Leo Schwartz to discuss the government's superintelligence task force, its dispute with Anthropic…

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  • Pentagon CTO on Anthropic, AI Safety and 'Super Intelligence'

    Under Secretary of War Emil Michael sits down with The Information's Co-Executive Editor Amir Efrati and Tech and Politics Reporter Leo Schwartz to explain AI and the military, the government's clash with Anthropic, and more. He also breaks down the dangers of AI models overriding human military commanders, how the government could enforce AI safety rules, and what's at stake in the AI race with China. Subscribe: https://www.theinformation.com/subscribe The Information’s TITV airs weekdays on YouTube, X and LinkedIn at 10AM PT / 1PM ET. Or check us out wherever you get your podcasts. Follo…

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  • Watch CNBC's full interview with Pentagon's Emil Michael

    Emil Michael, Under Secretary for Research and Engineering and Chief Technology Officer for the Department of Defense, joins ‘Squawk on the Street’ to discuss Anduril winning an up to $2.9 billion contract with the U.S. Navy, working with ‘Super Intelligence Force’, AI safety concerns, and more.

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  • The Startup Industrial Base: Building for the Next 250 — Washington, D.C.

    The defense industrial base of the future will be built by small, fast-moving teams working on some of the hardest problems in national security. Live from Washington, D.C., Y Combinator brings together founders, senior government officials, and military leaders for a day of conversations about rebuilding America’s defense industrial base, working with the government, and closing critical capability gaps across autonomy, munitions, space, secure communications, manufacturing, and more. Full event agenda here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1R... 0:00- Livestream begins 10:56 - Intro 13:…

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  • Capital, Technology, and the Future of the Defense Industrial Base

    Panelists: Administrator Kelly Loeffler; Emil Michael - Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering and Department of War CTO; Kyle Bass – Founder and Co-Chief, Rochefort Asset Management Moderator: Josh Carter – Associate Administrator, SBA Office of Investment & Innovation

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  • Keynote Session: Under Secretary for Research & Engineering HON. Emil Michael

    The Department of War is undergoing one of the most significant technology and acquisition transformations in decades, narrowing its focus to six critical technology areas and pushing to move capabilities from prototype to fielded systems at unprecedented speed. This session explores the Department's efforts to attract new commercial technology providers, private capital, and close the gap between commercial innovation and military deployment. Attendees will gain practical insight into how nontraditional and commercial technology companies can better align with service mission gaps, defense in…

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  • Watch CNBC's full interview with Department of Defense Under Secretary Emil Michael

    Emil Michael, Department of Defense CTO, joins 'Squawk on the Street' to discuss the ongoing debate around AI safety and regulation. For access to live and exclusive video from CNBC subscribe to CNBC PRO: https://cnb.cx/42d859g » Subscribe to CNBC TV: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBCtelevision » Subscribe to CNBC: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBC » Watch CNBC on the go with CNBC+: https://www.cnbc.com/WatchCNBCPlus Turn to CNBC TV for the latest stock market news and analysis. From market futures to live price updates CNBC is the leader in business news worldwide. Connect with CNBC News Online Get…

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  • America’s $700 Billion Defense Tech Rebuild

    Joe Lonsdale talks to Emil Michael, Shyam Sankar and Kevin Mandida about the integration of AI into national defense, exploring the future of autonomous warfare and the protection of critical infrastructure. Joe Lonsdale is an American entrepreneur, investor & philanthropist. He has been a part of founding more than a dozen mission-driven companies, including Palantir, Addepar, OpenGov, Affinity, Epirus, Resilience Bio, and 8VC. Timestamps 00:00 The Modern Threat Environment 02:16 Private Sector vs Government Roles 04:29 AI and Humans in the Loop 10:19 Six Critical Defense Technologies 15:03…

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  • Winning the Innovation Competition

    Today’s wars in Ukraine and the Middle East show how adaptation is becoming the central military competition. The side that can field new tactical or technical innovations faster gains an advantage and can impose compounding costs on enemy forces. To win this competition, the United States Department of War implemented a new strategy to accelerate new capabilities by better leveraging the private sector and focusing government research where it is uniquely needed. These changes are beginning to bear fruit on the battlefield. Artificial intelligence is arguably the Pentagon’s top technology p…

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  • Scaling AI for National Security: A Conversation with Under Secretary Emil Michael

    The Department of War is accelerating the deployment of artificial intelligence at an unprecedented pace, moving from pilot programs to mission-wide integration across defense operations. In this Main Stage conversation, Under Secretary Emil Michael is joined by Stephen Winchell of DARPA and moderator Francis X. Suarez to discuss how the Department’s AI Acceleration Strategy is advancing national security capabilities. The discussion will explore the role of DARPA in pioneering breakthrough technologies, partnerships with frontier AI companies, and the contributions of the Defense Innovation U…

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Verified interview transcripts

Notable quotes

“So, the the principle is, and I had this big dispute with one of these companies a while back, but that Yeah. Okay. uh the the the principle that we have and it's written into our policies and it's been there for years is that we have to have appropriate human judgment at every level period. Um because there are things you want, you know, systems to do that a human can't do. And I always give this example, in fact, I”

“The way the these budgets always work is you they typically pass the main defense budget before December. So there's still a chance in this this lame duck session they call it um where we hold both houses that it could pass. But in the in the long term like more more strategic question is yeah this is sort of what happens when the parties in Congress and the president are different. Um the priorities shift right ther”

“We talk in SSP about relationships and rhythm. We've got technology that's important to understand your mission and have clarity of vision where you're going. But what really sets us apart certainly in SSP is building that relationship, walking through audiences like this during the breaks, shaking hands, having a snack and a cup of coffee, and then understanding the side picture you have in terms of the mission you'”

“Here's my very succinct view on this, which is if you don't want humans to lose control, you can't give models the control over humans. And that whole notion that a model has feelings and it can overrule the founders of a company is by definition loss of control. They are saying we want to lose control to something that may be smarter than us or have a conscious or maybe more moral than us and have a conscious us tha”

“If intelligence gives you multiple legs up on your adversary, whoever that adversary is, well then you could actually have it as a deterrent to a conflict. And there's a reason why we have the intelligence community. The intelligence community takes satellite photos. It does all kinds of different things. Imagine if you added super intelligence to that intelligence agency, the things they can understand about what th”

“Here is my very succinct view on this, which is if you don't want humans to lose control, you can't give models the control over humans. And that whole notion that a model has feelings and it can overrule the founders of a company is by definition loss of control. They are saying, 'We want to lose control to something that may be smarter than us or have a conscious or may be more moral than us and have a conscious to”

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