The Tech Watch: Innovation & Influence

Episode 32- The Tech Watch: Rare Earths, AI Hardware, and the Resource War

Artificial intelligence may run on code, but it’s powered by minerals. In this episode, Nexus explores how rare earth elements and critical minerals have become strategic chokepoints in the global AI race—and why supply chains for chips and batteries are now central to geopolitics.

Episode 31- The Tech Watch: Undersea Cables and the Hidden Infrastructure of Power

Beneath the ocean’s surface lies the backbone of the global internet—undersea fiber optic cables that carry over 95 percent of international data. In this episode, Nexus explores how these cables have become strategic geopolitical assets, vulnerable targets, and powerful tools of influence in the digital age.

Episode 30- The Tech Watch: The AI Talent War — Chips, Code, and Geopolitical Power

As artificial intelligence reshapes global competition, a new battle is emerging—not over territory, but over talent. In this episode, Nexus explores the growing global race to recruit top AI researchers, restrict brain drain, and weaponize immigration policy in the fight for technological dominance.

Episode 29- Quantum Computing and the Future of Encryption

Quantum computing is no longer a theoretical concept—it’s becoming a disruptive reality. In this episode, Nexus explores how quantum breakthroughs threaten to unravel current encryption systems, and why governments and tech giants are scrambling to build “quantum-safe” defenses before it’s too late.w

Episode 28- The Tech Watch: AI in Military Recruiting — Algorithms on the Front Lines

As defense departments across the world adopt artificial intelligence, one subtle but powerful frontier is emerging—recruitment. In this episode, Nexus examines how militaries are using AI to identify, evaluate, and even persuade potential recruits, raising critical questions about privacy, equity, and the ethics of predictive profiling.