Intel at the Edge

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.

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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.

With the Trump-Xi summit approaching, former CIA senior China analyst Chris Johnson joins “Intel at the Edge” to give an unvarnished assessment of Beijing's priorities, Xi Jinping's mindset, and how China is navigating an increasingly unpredictable America. 

Chris draws on over two decades in the US intelligence and foreign affairs communities to explain what Xi really wants from this summit, how the rare earth standoff reshaped the bilateral relationship, and why China's long-term focus is breaking America's technological chokehold — not winning a diplomatic photo op.

00:00 - Introduction & Guest Bio 

01:35 - How Important Is the Summit to Xi Jinping? 

03:17 - Xi's Real Goal: Stability Over Diplomacy 

04:41 - How Beijing Is Briefing Xi on Trump 

05:01 - Xi's Gamble: The Rare Earth Sword & Staring Trump Down 

06:07 - The Other Side: US Hegemonism Is on the Prowl 

07:13 - The Wounded Animal: How Beijing Reads America Right Now 

07:37 - Xi's Play: Buy Trump Off & Wait Him Out 

20:10 - What Xi Will Put on the Table on Taiwan 

21:18 - Xi's Real Priority: Breaking the Semiconductor Chokehold 

26:14 - Summit Timing & Xi's Return Visit Window 

27:02 - The Atmospherics: How China Stages These Meetings 

28:20 - Trump Treats Xi as an Equal — And Xi Knows It 

28:40 - "Trump Sees Xi as a Badass" 

29:57 - How Confident Is Beijing About Winning the Long Game? 

30:21 - Short Term Confident, Long Term Uncertain 

31:22 - China's Real Problems: Demographics, Debt & the Economy 

32:31 - What Keeps Xi Up at Night 

32:53 - Closing Remarks

 

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

China didn’t just compete with the United States — it harvested America’s innovation. In this episode of “Intel at the Edge” Andrew Badger joins Chip Usher to discuss The Great Heist — the story of how China used industrial espionage, talent recruitment, and a whole-of-society strategy to leapfrog the U.S. in critical technologies. 

From AI and hypersonic missiles to semiconductor manufacturing and electric vehicles, this conversation explores: 

• How China turned WTO entry into a collection apparatus 

• The rise of the Ministry of State Security’s global network 

• The Tesla “billion-dollar thumb drive” case 

• Hypersonic and the Los Alamos connection 

• Why economic security is national security 

• What the U.S. intelligence community must do differently 

If the 20th century was about military dominance, the 21st century is about technological power. The question is not whether China is competing — it’s whether America is prepared. 

00:00 Intro – The Great Heist 

02:20 From DIA to Industrial Espionage 

03:15 WTO 2000: The Turning Point 

06:25 The “Kaspersky Doctrine” Strategy 

08:10 The Most Consequential Economic Heist in History 

10:30 China’s Whole-of-Society Intelligence Model 

13:20 Sun Tzu & The Cultural Mindset Behind Espionage 

17:40 The Cost: $600–800 Billion a Year 

21:05 The Tesla “Billion-Dollar Thumb Drive” 

22:45 Hypersonic & The Los Alamos Connection 

25:15 “We Let Them Do It” – Strategic Distraction 

29:20 The China Initiative & Political Hesitation 

31:35 AI, Quantum & Emerging Tech Theft 

34:20 The Wave Energy Case Study 

36:40 Semiconductor War & ASML 

38:15 Economic Security = National Security 

40:20 Time to Stop Playing Defense 

43:30 OPSEC Mindset & Intelligence Reform 

46:50 Final Thoughts

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

Admiral Michael Studeman joins "Intel at the Edge " to discuss the shifting landscape of Indo-Pacific security. Drawing from his decades of experience in the U.S. Intelligence Community, including as the Director of Intelligence at Indo-Pacific Command, Admiral Studeman provides a rare inside look into how America’s intelligence services view China’s growing military power and how Beijing is positioning itself for regional and global leadership. 

Additionally, as Former Director of the Office of Naval Intelligence, Admiral Studeman breaks down the sudden removal of General Zhang Youxia and what it means for the future of the PLA. Is Xi Jinping clearing out "overcautious" generals to make room for "Yes Men!"? We dive deep into China's massive military modernization and why Admiral Studeman believes the "window of greatest danger" is closer than we think.

00:00:09 – Introduction: Admiral Mike Studeman’s 35-Year Career 

00:01:37 – Welcome & Setting the Stage for the China Challenge 

00:02:27 – The Scale and Speed of PLA Modernization 

00:05:09 – China's Navy: A Peer Global Power 

00:07:22 – Latent Power vs. Ready Power: How China Converts Wealth to Military Strength 

00:09:58 – Comprehensive National Power & The Misdiagnosis of China’s Strategy 

00:11:36 – Political Warfare: China’s "Short of War" Expansion 

00:13:55 – Regional Anxiety & China’s Daily Influence Operations 

00:15:25 – Analyzing the Ouster of General Zhang Youxia 

00:19:56 – Xi Jinping’s Fourth Term & The Consolidation of "Yes Men" 

00:21:51 – Pressure Tactics Around Taiwan: An Ongoing Cognitive War

00:25:24 – The "Window of Greatest Danger" (Late 2020s–Early 2030s) 

00:29:28 – Reforming the Intelligence Community: Beyond the "Ivory Tower" 

00:33:49 – Harnessing Open Source & Advanced Technology 

00:39:03 – Economic Intelligence: The Blind Spot of 21st Century Security 

00:41:54 – Protecting National Competitiveness through Private Sector Dialog 

00:44:36 – Advice for the Next Generation: Courage and Iron Integrity 

00:47:12 – Closing Remarks & Future Military Outlook

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