June 05, 2025
Episode 1: The Hand Behind Unmanned – America’s Quest for Autonomous War
What are unmanned weapons and where did America’s quest for autonomy begin? The answer takes us back to the birthplace of the country and David Bushnell’s famed kegs of floating gunpowder then to the Civil War when, first Confederate and then Union generals experimented with land and naval mines and tethered torpedoes, and finally, how the invention of aircraft, the radio, and two World Wars ushered in a new age of autonomy. Paul Scharre, executive vice president at the Center for a New American Security, joins the conversation.
Listen to the full episode on Hoover Institution.
More from CNAS
-
Commentary
Technology & National Security
CNAS Insights | American AI Exports Need a Sovereignty SolutionEarlier this month, the Department of Commerce opened applications for the American AI Exports Program, an ambitious effort to deploy American AI technology, tools, and infras...
By Ruby Scanlon & Vivek Chilukuri
-
Commentary
Technology & National Security
How the Pentagon Can Manage the Risks of AI WarfareTo use AI effectively, militaries will need to not only harness the promise of AI but also grapple with its limitations and risks....
By Paul Scharre
-
Commentary
Technology & National Security
Dutch Export Controls Don’t Go Far Enough on ChinaControlling the machines that make chips matters more than controlling any specific chip....
By Michelle Nie
-
Commentary
Technology & National Security
China’s AI Is Spreading Fast. Here’s How to Stop the Security RisksThe first problem is not about China, but about AI as a technology: It is incredibly difficult to audit the global supply chain for AI software....
By Ryan Fedasiuk
