AI in security and defence: is tech making us safer?
The Times Tech Podcast
Will Morley
4.8 • 676 Ratings
🗓️ 30 April 2026
⏱️ 43 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Alphabet, Google's parent company, has reportedly signed a deal allowing the Pentagon use of its AI for classified purposes. It's just one of many recent deals between Silicon Valley tech companies and the US military. Meanwhile, tech company Palantir says future AI warfare is inevitable and is calling on big tech bosses to "participate in the defence of the nation". Danny Fortson and Katie Prescott discuss this cultural shift, and whether AI is actually making us safer or enabling the rise of the ‘Big Brother’ state. Plus, Julian Cracknell, CTO of defence company BAE Systems, talks about the future of defence and killer robots.
Get in touch: techpod@thetimes.co.uk
Producer: Marnie Duke
Executive Producer: Priyanka Deladia
Image: Getty
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello and welcome to the Times Tech podcast where every week we unpack how technology is reshaping business, culture and everyday life. |
| 0:13.8 | I'm Katie Prescott covering all things tech here in the city of London. |
| 0:18.2 | And I am Danny Fortson out here in Silicon Valley. Which is Danny the place |
| 0:23.4 | to be this week. I am so jealous. You are at what I think can only be described as the tech |
| 0:30.5 | trial of the century, the millennium. The millennium. Elon Musk versus Open AI. |
| 0:40.8 | The beef between them is Elon Musk and Sam Altman co-founded Open AI among others. |
| 0:46.3 | And Elon Musk said, we founded it as a charity and he's turned it into something commercial |
| 0:51.6 | in very basic terms. |
| 0:53.5 | Yeah, basically, I got bamboozled. |
| 0:55.5 | I was a prime funder. |
| 0:56.6 | I put in $38 million to kind of get it off the ground and fund it in its early years. |
| 1:01.1 | And then they fell out over strategy. |
| 1:05.0 | Elon Musk left and said, and this is in an email, gave them, quote unquote, exactly zero chance of |
| 1:14.2 | survival once he left. |
| 1:15.6 | He was like, yeah. |
| 1:17.1 | And of course, they went on to very much survive, turn into a for-profits, have a, you know, |
| 1:23.2 | establish a for-profit subsidiary, which is now worth $800 billion, launched Chad |
| 1:27.8 | GBT, kickstart the AI revolution. And so this fight is really around. He's like, hey, |
| 1:34.4 | I donated this money to a charity. Now it's one of the most valuable companies on the planet. |
| 1:43.0 | That can't be okay. up guys exactly so he's wanting |
| 1:48.9 | just a cool 134 billion i mean fine you know that seems reasonable what was he like in court |
| 1:57.7 | that first day with Elon Musk giving evidence like and what's been going on? |
... |
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