Strength in Numbers

Latest episode

1 Apr 2026 · 40 min

Strength in Numbers Live: Industrial Policy and the AI Arms Race

Strength in Numbers continues its conversation from the National Security Data and Policy Institute’s (NSDPI) annual conference by analyzing how the United States’ and China’s distinct industrial policies are shaping the AI arms race. How are the decision-making and regulatory styles of these two countries shaping this technological competition? Host Jennifer Strong was joined on stage by panelists Philip Potter, Neil Wiley, and Lukas Filler. Potter is NSDPI’s executive director, Wiley is a former U.S. intelligence officer, and Filler is an NSDPI senior fellow and China analyst. Additional…

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Earlier episodes 8 most recent

1. 

   25 Mar 2026 · 41 min

   Strength in Numbers Live: U.S.-China Competition

   Strength in Numbers was recently recorded live at the annual conference of the National Security Data and Policy Institute (NSDPI). The conference hosted discussions on several of the topics we’ve covered this season—critical minerals, supply chains, the AI arms race with China—and we wanted to bring a flavor of those conversations directly to you. Host Jennifer Strong was joined on stage by panelists Philip Potter, Neil Wiley, and Lukas Filler. Potter is NSDPI’s executive director, Wiley is a former U.S. intelligence officer, and Filler is an NSDPI senior fellow and China analyst.…

2. 

   18 Mar 2026 · 24 min

   Who’s winning the AI race?

   Is the United States in an artificial intelligence arms race with China? How are policymakers assessing possible economic and national security threats? How should China be understood as a potential peer competitor? And who’s likely to win? China experts Dean Cheng and Lukas Filler join Strength in Numbers to discuss. Cheng is formerly of the Heritage Foundation and the author of Cyber Dragon: Inside China’s Information Warfare and Cyber Operations. And Filler is a national security strategist at the National Security Data and Policy Institute. Additional reading: Deeper Questions Raised by…

3. 

   11 Mar 2026 · 24 min

   How Europe Is Seeing the Rise of AI

   Much has been said about the United States and China’s approach to artificial intelligence, but another key player in the AI race is Europe. How are its regulators, political leaders, and industry approaching this new technology? Gabriele Mazzini, the lead architect on the EU’s landmark AI Act , joins host Jennifer Strong to discuss how this landmark legislation was brought into being—and what could now change. The episode also features University of Virginia School of Law’s Vice Dean Ashley Deeks to discuss how AI and emerging technologies are being used for defense and what guardrails…

4. 

   S1 · E4 · 4 Mar 2026 · 29 min

   Protecting the Homeland

   ​​How are policymakers assessing future security challenges and what is being done to mitigate those threats? George Foresman, a senior advisor at the National Security Data and Policy Institute (NSDPI), shares his experience as the first undersecretary of preparedness at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security with host Jennifer Strong. Former Deputy National Security Advisor Anne Neuberger also joins the series to recount how the U.S. government responded to the most ambitious cybercrime to date: Salt Typhoon. Finally, NSDPI’s research associate Nathan Timbs shares how open-source data is…

5. 

   25 Feb 2026 · 24 min

   Can the U.S. Build What It Needs?

   U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Jack Reed join Strength in Numbers to share their assessments of the defense industrial base. Does the United States have access to the tools and materials needed to be secure? How is the country adapting to technological changes on the battlefield? And is the United States going to be able to outbuild competitors—or is it simply too late? Additional reading: Chinese Investment in Mineral Resources — National Security Data and Policy Institute Building a Glass Fortress: China’s Delicate Trade Dominance in Critical Materials — National Security Data and Policy…

6. 

   18 Feb 2026 · 28 min

   Critical Minerals, Supply Chains, and Control

   Evan Smith, CEO and co-founder of Altana, joins host Jennifer Strong to assess the state of critical mineral supply chains today. Who controls the materials? Why is such a vital part of national security controlled by an economic adversary? And, more importantly, what can be done to regain control of this important resource? Margaret Foster, a data scientist and scholar at the University of Virginia, then joins the podcast to share how she uses data and artificial intelligence to identify and mitigate potential supply chain chokepoints. Additional reading: Microelectronics Supply Chain…

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