Bold Names

Condoleezza Rice’s experience navigating geopolitical tensions and uncertainty gives her a background few people have. The former secretary of state currently leads the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and is a founding partner at Rice, Hadley, Gates & Manuel LLC, a strategic consulting firm. On this week’s episode of Bold Names, she speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims [https://www.wsj.com/news/author/christopher-mims] and Tim Higgins [https://www.wsj.com/news/author/tim-higgins] about why she says the U.S. needs to “run hard and run fast” and win the tech race with China [https://www.wsj.com/tech/the-u-s-plan-to-hobble-china-tech-isnt-working-56d1a512?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=ASWzDAggegggy7fbY_0BfRKSkEM8NaILsy8DJEuSvrWWiMD1XF6Bjo18-MItBZ4udj4%3D&gaa_ts=68dec9e7&gaa_sig=RRqjORMwKmqpMY1mKtv088Xrc8XvGMBajxf-ugY3XaokHqPdBZlKa2DtF-St8giBgYgg6SdhNvsBoB00XKizmQ%3D%3D?mod=WSJ_BNPOD]. She also explains why executives can no longer afford to think of foreign policy as separate from strategy. To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/@WSJPodcasts/podcasts?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] or the video page [https://www.wsj.com/video/series?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] of WSJ.com [http://wsj.com?mod=WSJ_BNPOD]. Check Out Past Episodes: This CEO Says Global Trade Is Broken. What Comes Next? [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/this-ceo-says-global-trade-is-broken-what-comes-next/44B7B466-1693-4ABB-8970-8C84F5231448?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] What This Former USAID Head Had to Say About Elon Musk and DOGE [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/what-this-former-usaid-head-had-to-say-about-elon-musk-and-doge/0358F2DB-8AA2-4DB3-8DE0-03575EC59088mod=WSJ_BNPOD] ‘Businesses Don’t Like Uncertainty’: How Cisco Is Navigating AI and Trump 2.0 [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/businesses-dont-like-uncertainty-how-cisco-is-navigating-ai-and-trump-20/C605071C-F5E6-4F2E-8655-BD7F0D787786?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] Why This Tesla Pioneer Says the Cheap EV Market 'Sucks' [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/why-this-tesla-pioneer-says-the-cheap-ev-market-ucks/F2C785BA-16E6-419B-811C-C0E1E2729C7B?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com. Sign up for the WSJ's free Technology newsletter [https://www.wsj.com/newsletters/technology?mod=WSJ_BNPOD]. Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column. [https://www.wsj.com/news/types/keywords?mod=WSJ_BNPOD]Read Tim Higgins’s column [https://www.wsj.com/news/types/tim-higgins?mod=WSJ_BNPOD].  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Who will take care of you in old age? Jeff Cardenas, the CEO and co-founder of Apptronik, says the answer is robots [https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/humanoid-robot-workers-ai-brain-08027439?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=ASWzDAi_62XbXEt2iX5B7NSWdGyJb6QQYMCNxVixViKP009TlGecbxIf1wys1EnZ_uo%3D&gaa_ts=68d2b6b5&gaa_sig=RHou1q76xXfEMP3pQdSWSgeZsCnVg4j2aIfCJD0Om7BBSzM8kJAhkIK8hOt9yE_wfiWlNXk-J3rN8ZvMjyIlZQ%3D%3D?mod=WSJ_BNPOD]. The startup founder set out to build a smart, dexterous robot after watching his grandfathers grow old and dependent in their later years. Beyond healthcare, Cardenas sees robots as essential to U.S. economic growth and national security with applications across industries. Even with the latest advances in artificial intelligence and hardware, what will it take for humanoid robots to make the leap from science fiction to reality [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/humanoid-robot-startups-are-hot-this-ai-expert-cuts-through-the-hype/4911ec21-54e6-4137-8a1a-fa4feca4ff25?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=ASWzDAguO7KO967uS97v_i8ARoO5LdKya317a7ay44Bl_Sxs-fOwF-0TPDe4cBK_r8o%3D&gaa_ts=68d2c2c9&gaa_sig=t8vGegezCuatcPLijWJ0KeTduyjC-cnJK0K5-mBJ_9IZHcPV1UNeRw0R5NvWHj4lE8PJBFfMD_WRZTuRtlcm1A%3D%3D?mod=WSJ_BNPOD]? On the latest episode of the Bold Names podcast, Cardenas tells WSJ’s Christopher Mims [https://www.wsj.com/news/author/christopher-mims] and Tim Higgins [https://www.wsj.com/news/author/tim-higgins] why Apptronik is betting it will create the home robot helper that everyone will want. Check Out Past Episodes: Why IBM's CEO Thinks His Company Can Crack Quantum Computing [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/why-ibm-ceo-thinks-his-company-can-crack-quantum-computing/411a8140-f157-441f-9fb4-c1c0d928db4d?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] ‘Businesses Don’t Like Uncertainty’: How Cisco Is Navigating AI and Trump 2.0 [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/businesses-dont-like-uncertainty-how-cisco-is-navigating-ai-and-trump-20/C605071C-F5E6-4F2E-8655-BD7F0D787786?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] Humanoid Robot Startups Are Hot. This AI Expert Cuts Through the Hype. [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/humanoid-robot-startups-are-hot-this-ai-expert-cuts-through-the-hype/4911EC21-54E6-4137-8A1A-FA4FECA4FF25?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] Reid Hoffman Says AI Isn’t an ‘Arms Race,’ but America Needs to Win [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/reid-hoffman-says-ai-isnt-an-arms-race-but-america-needs-to-win/EAFAB54F-65D6-4A7D-BBC1-49660196A89D?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com. Sign up for the WSJ's free Technology newsletter [https://www.wsj.com/newsletters/technology?mod=WSJ_BNPOD]. Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column. [https://www.wsj.com/news/types/keywords?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] Read Tim Higgins’s column [https://www.wsj.com/news/types/tim-higgins?mod=WSJ_BNPOD]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

The relationship between the U.S. and China is typically framed as competitive and even adversarial. Each superpower brings strengths and weaknesses to how it approaches its society, business and growth. In his new book "Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future," author and China expert Dan Wang, frames the key differences between the two superpowers. He argues that China can be understood as an "engineering state" that builds at breakneck speed [https://www.wsj.com/world/china/how-china-is-challenging-the-west-with-its-trillion-dollar-infrastructure-plan-5fea1ba5?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=ASWzDAhZXwHopix8Idj8M1B9S23RbedD_EXZYNbhzFE15XHD5XRSnzFKmYNe8-ZERB4%3D&gaa_ts=68cbed41&gaa_sig=joK54ENfzvgUpcO4d-69ogzyvVoWVzoKVn1t6hsHHBiD-L-b36sPl-tsgUwyYK_GLHL1t9ss3YejttoM-P4pqA%3D%3D?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] regardless of public opinion or dissent. He says the U.S., on the other hand, is a "lawyerly society" that offers civil and environmental protections, but blocks everything, good and bad. On the latest episode of the Bold Names podcast, Wang speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims about how this framework could help us understand which country ultimately has the upper hand in the current geopolitical [https://www.wsj.com/world/china/china-hardens-military-stance-against-u-s-with-nuclear-weapons-and-tough-talk-eca2ae89?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=ASWzDAgV4mTje1MoJHJ0dZ4_Wq_8DDe5V49TVsmO_rBDtm30a90PnNeZ4LSl3Ob2D9A%3D&gaa_ts=68cbecab&gaa_sig=Jlq-sndC5sJSSQwRRPtycNe30OPZyXNskyMLJQY0fG6ktrVoc06CZLbt7RTNOBWiMB46ZZ9FiuZLlgGAh0T2Xg%3D%3D?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] and technological arms race. [https://www.wsj.com/world/china/china-nvidia-antitrust-probe-us-trade-talks-d00d9462?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=ASWzDAgkWevRNqO-PDGpDg8I_KgStyBjD29MGBwKKp2RPSKVhAltTWSvk0tCi2h6KTo%3D&gaa_ts=68cbecab&gaa_sig=UZdKBWUWBkuA1ey3l9wOLydeuS5m4SiWOIjiNPVQ6yCw7SkMmDBu-WCHk2pT62y3lgSvBNMk4pDu8NluNWQI1w%3D%3D?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/@WSJPodcasts/podcasts?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] or the video page [https://www.wsj.com/video/series?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] of WSJ.com [http://wsj.com?mod=WSJ_BNPOD]. Check Out Past Episodes: This CEO Says Global Trade Is Broken. What Comes Next? [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/this-ceo-says-global-trade-is-broken-what-comes-next/44B7B466-1693-4ABB-8970-8C84F5231448?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] What This Former USAID Head Had to Say About Elon Musk and DOGE [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/what-this-former-usaid-head-had-to-say-about-elon-musk-and-doge/0358F2DB-8AA2-4DB3-8DE0-03575EC59088mod=WSJ_BNPOD] ‘Businesses Don’t Like Uncertainty’: How Cisco Is Navigating AI and Trump 2.0 [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/businesses-dont-like-uncertainty-how-cisco-is-navigating-ai-and-trump-20/C605071C-F5E6-4F2E-8655-BD7F0D787786?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] Why This Tesla Pioneer Says the Cheap EV Market 'Sucks' [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/why-this-tesla-pioneer-says-the-cheap-ev-market-ucks/F2C785BA-16E6-419B-811C-C0E1E2729C7B?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com. Sign up for the WSJ's free Technology newsletter [https://www.wsj.com/newsletters/technology?mod=WSJ_BNPOD]. Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column. [https://www.wsj.com/news/types/keywords?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] Read Tim Higgins’s column [https://www.wsj.com/news/types/tim-higgins?mod=WSJ_BNPOD].  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

After spending much of the 2010s in the doldrums, IBM has made something of a comeback [https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ibm-generative-ai-business-f3bf8203?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=ASWzDAg5P9u2WSO8qqRUQN_f2oYnbfZd90-nLI5OCNwB-sCbwwujh5dYk-WgKZYOIKU%3D&gaa_ts=68bedb7e&gaa_sig=5RiSZOaY6RaQbVftlAMLy4cI5T9DyzUtHvAApZOJ93EbBX-ZrGnHnfKbPGvN2zLQHSOEi03nQabN2qwfcQxCYQ%3D%3D?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] in the past five years under the leadership of CEO Arvind Krishna. That's thanks to a lot of the success in its hybrid cloud business [https://www.wsj.com/business/earnings/ibm-second-quarter-results-rise-on-consulting-infrastructure-strength-2470711b?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=ASWzDAi2-lRURz-70q-A9_plRm44gHatT3P7WQKrs1NFtOBqQPLR7O9T2XQFBJQf2pU%3D&gaa_ts=68bedb5e&gaa_sig=3t-EjtN9f_IpdC0h4_fXDkid2wS2Jq1uK7hDJ959KeG7zxEkFkVzAfY4hErmHuxVDTx6ZvcPt1j7xkCTOV2wCw%3D%3D?mod=WSJ_BNPOD], as well as its consulting services. All of this has led to a surge in the company's share price. Now, IBM is betting that quantum computing [https://www.wsj.com/articles/ibm-has-a-roadmap-to-a-fault-tolerant-quantum-computer-by-2029-91645d73?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=ASWzDAgDY-kmm1P4KVB1sfB1qwNpmp_wWNZYpU4CDKjBj4bcUA5Ht-nRyJUGplURBhc%3D&gaa_ts=68bedc11&gaa_sig=Jks3fSCP8H5e3tIEufKs7Vk5o_xznQ8yM7V0zCgQnkMNB4TJjK56PmmzvmV1toFIKgsR0UbWA5uaLHUUHGn0XQ%3D%3D?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] will be the next big thing. But will Big Blue succeed against rivals like Microsoft and Google who are racing to make their own quantum breakthroughs? And how is the company learning from its past mistakes with Watson AI? [https://www.wsj.com/articles/ibm-bet-billions-that-watson-could-improve-cancer-treatment-it-hasnt-worked-1533961147?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=ASWzDAhigEgCNJJ-CgPK3lWiaIk-TxooUxrw8e7J8z2ewPuC3iJy3WxOtghj6KAKJdg%3D&gaa_ts=68bedc72&gaa_sig=iYDybV7dB02CqLztxvSiytFOJUN3_B-bqUCYAEthkVHoaKDM0IPrcDqPiV7BiaGc-34FkMXhVnkvZGno7_41Gg%3D%3D?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] Arvind Krishna speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims [https://www.wsj.com/news/author/christopher-mims] and Tim Higgins [https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ibm-generative-ai-business-f3bf8203?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=ASWzDAg5P9u2WSO8qqRUQN_f2oYnbfZd90-nLI5OCNwB-sCbwwujh5dYk-WgKZYOIKU%3D&gaa_ts=68bedb7e&gaa_sig=5RiSZOaY6RaQbVftlAMLy4cI5T9DyzUtHvAApZOJ93EbBX-ZrGnHnfKbPGvN2zLQHSOEi03nQabN2qwfcQxCYQ%3D%3D?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] on the latest episode of the Bold Names podcast. To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/@WSJPodcasts/podcasts?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] or the video page [https://www.wsj.com/video/series?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] of WSJ.com [http://wsj.com?mod=WSJ_BNPOD]. Check Out Past Episodes: This CEO Says Global Trade Is Broken. What Comes Next? [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/this-ceo-says-global-trade-is-broken-what-comes-next/44B7B466-1693-4ABB-8970-8C84F5231448?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] What This Former USAID Head Had to Say About Elon Musk and DOGE [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/what-this-former-usaid-head-had-to-say-about-elon-musk-and-doge/0358F2DB-8AA2-4DB3-8DE0-03575EC59088mod=WSJ_BNPOD] ‘Businesses Don’t Like Uncertainty’: How Cisco Is Navigating AI and Trump 2.0 [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/businesses-dont-like-uncertainty-how-cisco-is-navigating-ai-and-trump-20/C605071C-F5E6-4F2E-8655-BD7F0D787786?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] Why This Tesla Pioneer Says the Cheap EV Market 'Sucks' [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/why-this-tesla-pioneer-says-the-cheap-ev-market-ucks/F2C785BA-16E6-419B-811C-C0E1E2729C7B?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com Sign up for the WSJ's free Technology newsletter [https://www.wsj.com/newsletters/technology?mod=WSJ_BNPOD]. Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column. [https://www.wsj.com/news/types/keywords?mod=WSJ_BNPOD] Read Tim Higgins’s column [https://www.wsj.com/news/types/tim-higgins?mod=WSJ_BNPOD].  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Every day, Wall Street Journal journalists talk with the most powerful, influential and interesting people. WSJ columnists Christopher Mims [https://www.wsj.com/news/author/christopher-mims] and Tim Higgins [https://www.wsj.com/news/author/tim-higgins] are bringing some of those conversations directly to you. Bold Names returns with new episodes on Fridays starting September 12 on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com Sign up for the WSJ's free Technology newsletter [https://www.wsj.com/newsletters/technology?mod=WSJ_BNPOD]. Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column. [https://www.wsj.com/news/types/keywords?mod=WSJ_BNPOD]  Read Tim Higgins’s column [https://www.wsj.com/news/types/tim-higgins?mod=WSJ_BNPOD].  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]