January 15, 2026
AI and Policy, Both Foreign and Domestic
In an episode recorded just before Christmas, Darren interviews Janet Egan, Senior Fellow and Deputy Director of the Technology and National Security Program at CNAS, about AI policy and its implications for Australia. Janet (who started her career in the Australian government) frames the current AI landscape as a two-horse race between the US and China, given vastly asymmetric investment levels. She introduces “compute policy” as a tractable governance lever, explaining that the physical infrastructure required for AI—specialised chips, data centres, and energy—offers regulatable chokepoints unlike easily transferable data or algorithms. The US strategy focuses on scale and removing barriers to advancement, while China, constrained by export controls on advanced semiconductors, pursues a diffusion-oriented approach emphasising open-source models and practical applications.
Listen to the full interview on Australia in the World.
More from CNAS
-
Commentary
Technology & National Security
The Kill Switch and the Long ArmBut much remains undecided: The EU’s rules are still being written, and the biggest investments are still only plans. An assurance offered now can shape those choices but if o...
By Pablo Chavez
-
Podcast
Technology & National Security
AI, Trust, and the Future of WarfareLieutenant General John (Jack) N.T. Shanahan, U.S. Air Force (Ret.), an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, helped shape the Department of Defense...
By Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan
-
CNAS Insights
Technology & National Security
CNAS Insights | Governing Jailbreak IncidentsIn June 2026, Anthropic publicly released Claude Fable 5, a restricted version of its highly cyber-capable Mythos model. Within days, reports reached U.S. officials that resea...
By Ben Hayum
-
Thanks to Trump, Russia’s Own ‘Pivot to Asia’ Is Bearing Fruit
Commentary
If Washington wants to maintain its strategic position in Southeast Asia, it will need to do more than compete with China. It will also need to avoid handing Russia opportunit...
By Derek Grossman
