Intel at the Edge

In this episode of “Intel at the Edge”, former NSA Director General Tim Haugh and former GCHQ Director Sir Jeremy Fleming sit down for a rare, candid conversation about one of the most consequential intelligence relationships in the world. From the wartime roots at Bletchley Park to the age of AI and quantum computing, they explore how the US-UK signals intelligence alliance has evolved over 80+ years — and what it must do to stay ahead of an increasingly complex threat landscape. 

Topics covered: The origins of the NSA-GCHQ SIGINT partnership How AI is transforming intelligence work China, cyber threats, and the scale of modern adversaries Space, climate change, and emerging national security domains The critical role of private sector partnerships Advice for the next generation of intelligence leaders

Intel at the Edge Podcast is a product of the Special Competitive Studies Project.

From rare earth minerals to nitrocellulose, Exiger CEO Brandon Daniels warns that invisible vulnerabilities in America's supply chains pose serious national security risks. He also makes the case for smarter public-private partnerships and AI-driven tools to close the gap before adversaries exploit it. 

Recorded at the AI+ Expo, Daniels draws on his experience leading one of the world's most advanced supply chain intelligence platforms to argue that the U.S. must move beyond reactive policy and invest in proactive visibility. Additionally, he shares a candid and measured assessment of where generative AI stands today — acknowledging its promise for workforce augmentation while cautioning that complex, large-scale applications still require significant human engineering talent. 

Topics: National Security, Critical Minerals, Public-Private Partnerships, China Competition, Supply Chain Resilience

Intel at the Edge Podcast is a product of the Special Competitive Studies Project.

In this episode of "Intel at the Edge", host Chip Usher is joined by Amos Lahav, founder of Airis Labs, to examine one of the most consequential questions in modern defense: what happens when AI becomes the backbone of intelligence collection and battlefield targeting? Drawing on hard lessons from the October 7th intelligence failure, the rise of systems like Gospel, and the growing threat of adversarial AI, Lahav offers a firsthand account of how the technology is changing — and sometimes failing — the people who depend on it most.

Intel at the Edge Podcast is a product of the Special Competitive Studies Project.

Two senior CIA veterans — Wayne McCool, former Associate Deputy Director for Analysis, and Bruce Frost of "Rhombus Power" — cut through the hype. They discuss how AI is being used inside the intelligence community today, what the real limitations are, and what the future of all-source analysis looks like.

0:00:10 — Introduction & Context 

0:01:24 — Panel Introductions:  Wayne McCool & Bruce Frost

0:02:28 — AI as a "Silver Bullet"? Where It's Delivering Real Value 

0:05:39 — Rhombus Power's Approach: Empowering the Analyst 

0:06:55 — Predicting Threats: Undersea Cables & Satellites 

0:08:20 — Building Trust in AI: Human-in-the-Loop at CIA 

0:09:48 — Experiment Widely, Adopt Specifically 

0:11:09 — The Sourcing Problem: Can You Cite AI in Intelligence Products? 

0:13:02 — Trust & Model Auditability: A Decade-Long Journey 

0:14:26 — Defining Good Analysis in an AI-Augmented World 

0:15:56 — Speed to Insight & the Data Overload Problem 

0:18:09 — The Repeatability Problem with LLMs 

0:19:32 — Retrieval-Augmented Generation & Managing Hallucinations 

0:21:12 — Analyst Skepticism as a Core Tradecraft Skill 

0:22:43 — Curating Data: Giving Analysts Control Over Outputs 

0:24:39 — The Human Side: Will AI Replace Analyst Expertise? 

0:25:46 — Automation Bias & the Risk of Eroding Critical Thinking 

0:27:46 — How AI Is Changing the Editing & Review Process 

0:29:07 — The Future Role of the Reviewer 

0:29:52 — AI as a Training & Feedback Tool for Junior Analysts 

0:31:09 — What Does the Analytic Team of the Future Look Like? 

0:32:06 — Closing Thoughts & Final Takeaways

Intel at the Edge Podcast is a product of the Special Competitive Studies Project.

FISA Section 702 is one of the most powerful — and controversial — surveillance laws in the United States. It allows the U.S. intelligence community to collect electronic communications from foreign targets passing through American company infrastructure, without a traditional warrant.

In this episode, we sit down with Brett Freeman, a former attorney at the NSA, the National Counterterrorism Center, and the Department of Justice's National Security Division, who has spent years briefing the White House and Congress on exactly how this law works.

///

00:00:09 - Introduction: What is FISA Section 702?

00:01:47 - Guest Introduction: Brett Freeman

00:02:00 - Brett's Background & Career in Intelligence Law

00:04:16 - FISA 101: The History of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act

00:05:16 - How FISA Worked Before 9/11

00:06:13 - How 9/11 & the Internet Changed Everything

00:42:26 - The Reauthorization Debate in Congress

00:43:34 - Trump Administration's Stance on 702

00:44:31 - What a Clean vs. Reformed Reauthorization Means

00:45:30 - How Many Times Can 702 Be Reformed Before It Breaks?

00:47:44 - The Role of Sunset Clauses in National Security Law

00:49:06 - Artificial Intelligence & FISA Section 702

00:52:07 - Closing Remarks

Intel at the Edge Podcast is a product of the Special Competitive Studies Project.