WATCH: Anduril's Palmer Luckey talks AI, nukes and Iran on "The Axios Show"
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The U.S. holds an "extremely small" lead on China in the AI race, in part because authoritarian governments have certain advantages in deploying new technology, Anduril Industries founder Palmer Luckey said in a new episode of "The Axios Show."
Why it matters: Having Beijing dominate AI — and thus set the rules of the road globally — is considered a risk to U.S. national and economic security.
What they're saying: China has done a "very good job of distilling our models, copying a lot of our technology, leveraging open-source AI advancements and getting those advancements into fielding — not just with the military, but also their police state, their surveillance apparatus," he said.
- "I'm not saying we need to build a police state, a surveillance apparatus," said Luckey, who was sanctioned by China in late 2025.
- "I'm just recognizing that China has the will at the top to push these things out much faster than the United States."
- "The Axios Show" is our series featuring top Axios reporters interviewing newsmakers shaping politics, business, tech, and culture.
Other key points Luckey laid out during the almost hour-long interview:
- ☢️ He would "definitely" build nuclear weapons: "I would build fission weapons. I would build fusion weapons. Nuclear weapons have been one of the most stabilizing forces in history — ever."
- 🪖 The Defense Department and its programs are being run differently today than in prior administrations: "You want to put pressure on people early enough that they can actually course correct and adapt. I very much appreciate all of this."
- 🪨 He's serious about fighting an underground war: "Anduril has working prototypes of subterranean systems that can deliver a variety of kinetic, electronic and other effects. I've been talking about it louder and louder and louder."
- 🏜️ The U.S. lacks the "political will" and popular consensus to put boots on the ground in Iran after decades of "adventures" in the Middle East. (He didn't criticize the Trump administration's decision-making in Operation Epic Fury.)
- 👔 You don't "need to be a larger than life character" to run a defense business: "Some of the most successful defense companies I know are run by very competent operators. They're the most straitlaced guys you've ever seen."
- 🥊 The Pentagon-Anthropic feud boils down to policies and personalities: "I think, probably, the personalities in this case did not approach this in the most collaborative way that they could. But, in the end, I give the win to the department."
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