Intel at the Edge

How Israel uses AI for Intelligence & Why It's Not Enough with Amos Lahav

In this episode of "Intel at the Edge", host Chip Usher is joined by Amos Lahav, founder of Airis Labs, to examine one of the most consequential questions in modern defense: what happens when AI becomes the backbone of intelligence collection and battlefield targeting? Drawing on hard lessons from the October 7th intelligence failure, the rise of systems like Gospel, and the growing threat of adversarial AI, Lahav offers a firsthand account of how the technology is changing — and sometimes failing — the people who depend on it most. Intel at the Edge Podcast is a product of the Special Competitive Studies Project [scsp.ai].

Is AI Actually Useful for Intelligence Analysis? with Wayne McCool & Bruce Frost

Two senior CIA veterans — Wayne McCool, former Associate Deputy Director for Analysis, and Bruce Frost of "Rhombus Power" — cut through the hype. They discuss how AI is being used inside the intelligence community today, what the real limitations are, and what the future of all-source analysis looks like. 0:00:10 — Introduction & Context  0:01:24 — Panel Introductions:  Wayne McCool & Bruce Frost 0:02:28 — AI as a "Silver Bullet"? Where It's Delivering Real Value  0:05:39 — Rhombus Power's Approach: Empowering the Analyst  0:06:55 — Predicting Threats: Undersea Cables & Satellites  0:08:20 — Building Trust in AI: Human-in-the-Loop at CIA  0:09:48 — Experiment Widely, Adopt Specifically  0:11:09 — The Sourcing Problem: Can You Cite AI in Intelligence Products?  0:13:02 — Trust & Model Auditability: A Decade-Long Journey  0:14:26 — Defining Good Analysis in an AI-Augmented World  0:15:56 — Speed to Insight & the Data Overload Problem  0:18:09 — The Repeatability Problem with LLMs  0:19:32 — Retrieval-Augmented Generation & Managing Hallucinations  0:21:12 — Analyst Skepticism as a Core Tradecraft Skill  0:22:43 — Curating Data: Giving Analysts Control Over Outputs  0:24:39 — The Human Side: Will AI Replace Analyst Expertise?  0:25:46 — Automation Bias & the Risk of Eroding Critical Thinking  0:27:46 — How AI Is Changing the Editing & Review Process  0:29:07 — The Future Role of the Reviewer  0:29:52 — AI as a Training & Feedback Tool for Junior Analysts  0:31:09 — What Does the Analytic Team of the Future Look Like?  0:32:06 — Closing Thoughts & Final Takeaways Intel at the Edge Podcast is a product of the Special Competitive Studies Project [scsp.ai].

FISA Section 702 with Brett Freeman

FISA Section 702 is one of the most powerful — and controversial — surveillance laws in the United States. It allows the U.S. intelligence community to collect electronic communications from foreign targets passing through American company infrastructure, without a traditional warrant. In this episode, we sit down with Brett Freeman, a former attorney at the NSA, the National Counterterrorism Center, and the Department of Justice's National Security Division, who has spent years briefing the White House and Congress on exactly how this law works. /// 00:00:09 - Introduction: What is FISA Section 702? 00:01:47 - Guest Introduction: Brett Freeman 00:02:00 - Brett's Background & Career in Intelligence Law 00:04:16 - FISA 101: The History of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act 00:05:16 - How FISA Worked Before 9/11 00:06:13 - How 9/11 & the Internet Changed Everything 00:42:26 - The Reauthorization Debate in Congress 00:43:34 - Trump Administration's Stance on 702 00:44:31 - What a Clean vs. Reformed Reauthorization Means 00:45:30 - How Many Times Can 702 Be Reformed Before It Breaks? 00:47:44 - The Role of Sunset Clauses in National Security Law 00:49:06 - Artificial Intelligence & FISA Section 702 00:52:07 - Closing Remarks Intel at the Edge Podcast is a product of the Special Competitive Studies Project [scsp.ai].

Inside Beijing's Strategy: The Trump-Xi Summit, Taiwan & the Tech War with Chris Johnson

With the Trump-Xi summit approaching, former CIA senior China analyst Chris Johnson joins “Intel at the Edge” to give an unvarnished assessment of Beijing's priorities, Xi Jinping's mindset, and how China is navigating an increasingly unpredictable America.  Chris draws on over two decades in the US intelligence and foreign affairs communities to explain what Xi really wants from this summit, how the rare earth standoff reshaped the bilateral relationship, and why China's long-term focus is breaking America's technological chokehold — not winning a diplomatic photo op. 00:00 - Introduction & Guest Bio  01:35 - How Important Is the Summit to Xi Jinping?  03:17 - Xi's Real Goal: Stability Over Diplomacy  04:41 - How Beijing Is Briefing Xi on Trump  05:01 - Xi's Gamble: The Rare Earth Sword & Staring Trump Down  06:07 - The Other Side: US Hegemonism Is on the Prowl  07:13 - The Wounded Animal: How Beijing Reads America Right Now  07:37 - Xi's Play: Buy Trump Off & Wait Him Out  20:10 - What Xi Will Put on the Table on Taiwan  21:18 - Xi's Real Priority: Breaking the Semiconductor Chokehold  26:14 - Summit Timing & Xi's Return Visit Window  27:02 - The Atmospherics: How China Stages These Meetings  28:20 - Trump Treats Xi as an Equal — And Xi Knows It  28:40 - "Trump Sees Xi as a Badass"  29:57 - How Confident Is Beijing About Winning the Long Game?  30:21 - Short Term Confident, Long Term Uncertain  31:22 - China's Real Problems: Demographics, Debt & the Economy  32:31 - What Keeps Xi Up at Night  32:53 - Closing Remarks   Intel at the Edge Podcast is a product of the Special Competitive Studies Project [scsp.ai].

China’s Greatest Heist: How Beijing Stole America’s Technology with Andrew Badger

China didn’t just compete with the United States — it harvested America’s innovation. In this episode of “Intel at the Edge” Andrew Badger joins Chip Usher to discuss The Great Heist — the story of how China used industrial espionage, talent recruitment, and a whole-of-society strategy to leapfrog the U.S. in critical technologies.  From AI and hypersonic missiles to semiconductor manufacturing and electric vehicles, this conversation explores:  • How China turned WTO entry into a collection apparatus  • The rise of the Ministry of State Security’s global network  • The Tesla “billion-dollar thumb drive” case  • Hypersonic and the Los Alamos connection  • Why economic security is national security  • What the U.S. intelligence community must do differently  If the 20th century was about military dominance, the 21st century is about technological power. The question is not whether China is competing — it’s whether America is prepared.  00:00 Intro – The Great Heist  02:20 From DIA to Industrial Espionage  03:15 WTO 2000: The Turning Point  06:25 The “Kaspersky Doctrine” Strategy  08:10 The Most Consequential Economic Heist in History  10:30 China’s Whole-of-Society Intelligence Model  13:20 Sun Tzu & The Cultural Mindset Behind Espionage  17:40 The Cost: $600–800 Billion a Year  21:05 The Tesla “Billion-Dollar Thumb Drive”  22:45 Hypersonic & The Los Alamos Connection  25:15 “We Let Them Do It” – Strategic Distraction  29:20 The China Initiative & Political Hesitation  31:35 AI, Quantum & Emerging Tech Theft  34:20 The Wave Energy Case Study  36:40 Semiconductor War & ASML  38:15 Economic Security = National Security  40:20 Time to Stop Playing Defense  43:30 OPSEC Mindset & Intelligence Reform  46:50 Final Thoughts Intel at the Edge Podcast is a product of the Special Competitive Studies Project [scsp.ai].