Memos to the President

In this episode of Memos to the President , SCSP President Ylli Bajraktari speaks with Dr. Anshu Roy, CEO of Rhombus Power, Inc., about his personal and professional journey, the evolution of his work with the Department of Defense, and broader lessons about the integration of AI in public service. The discussion touches on key issues related to national security, including the potential for predi...

Secretary Work is widely credited for his work with leaders in the Department and the Intelligence Community on the “Third Offset Strategy,” which aimed to restore U.S. conventional overmatch over its strategic rivals and adversaries. His career is one marked by service to his country and is truly admirable. Our wide-ranging discussion covered AI and the future of warfare, the Third Offset Strateg...

SemiAnalysis’s Dylan Patel sits down with SCSP CEO Ylli Bajraktari to discuss the future of supercomputing clusters. #ComputeSummit   The Special Competitive Studies Project’s AI+Summit Series is a set of high-level events dedicated to enabling rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) as it transforms our country and becomes a keystone of our national security.  The AI+ Compute & Connect...

The Talent Memo outlines strategic initiatives to compete and succeed in a world driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and unprecedented technological change. A fundamental transformation of education and workforce policies is necessary to build the talent pipeline necessary for maintaining America’s leadership in critical technology sectors. Secure Global Leadership for Technology Talent Empower...

The Microelectronics Memo outlines strategic initiatives to complement manufacturing expansion with moonshots in next-generation microelectronics technologies, powering future defense platforms and large-scale AI systems.      Achieve Massive Increases in AI Energy Efficiency –  Ensure the United States wins the race to build post-Moore’s Law hardware to power large-scale AI systems.   Expand Oppo...

The Advanced Networks Memo outlines four strategic recommendations to reclaim American leadership in network technologies and secure a competitive edge in the 5G and impending 6G races. This agenda calls for bold actions to boost innovation, streamline regulatory processes, dominate emerging concepts, and reposition the United States as the global leader in next-generation communications in the fo...

This memo outlines a plan to ensure the United States remains a global leader in quantum computing, through focused technological innovation, strategic organizational changes, and proactive policy measures. To secure U.S. leadership in quantum computing, the following priorities must be addressed: Achieve and Sustain Quantum Leadership : Moving out as a nation involves two organizational moves. Fi...

Michèle served as the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy from February 2009 to February 2012, and serves as one of SCSP's Board of Advisors. Together, they discuss AI and the future of warfare, the U.S.-China-Taiwan security dynamic, and strategic guidance for the Secretary of Defense.  They reference the following article, AI is Already at War, Foreign Affairs. Check out their conversation on...

This memo outlines a new alliance structure to advance America's qualitative technology advantage in a global technology competition along the following objectives:  Identify and organize the most capable and secure partners to innovate and develop critical technologies before U.S. rivals. Safeguard access to critical technologies that are sensitive for national security. Establish broader partner...

In our Episode 13, SCSP's Addis Goldman and Brady Helwig highlight the key objectives of the newest Memo to the President all about revitalizing U.S. advanced manufacturing capabilities in a new Trump Administration.  Together, they outline a strategy to reestablish U.S. leadership in advanced manufacturing through targeted technology development, organizational reforms, and national policy interv...

They discuss China's DeepSeek AI model release and the challenges the US's perceived lead in the field.  This necessitates a shift in US national security strategy, including assuming worst-case scenarios about adversary AI capabilities, bolstering defenses for US AI infrastructure, and developing policies to address the proliferation of foreign AI models.  Furthermore, the US must adopt a compreh...

SCSP expands upon it's AI+Robotics Summit held in October 2024, identifying actions to secure U.S. leadership at the convergence of AI and robotics. Watch the full event here . Objectives in the Robotics Memo: Set national-level technology goals for robotics that ensure U.S. leadership in development, deployment, and responsible use, driving economic growth, enhancing national security, and improv...

In 2017, Schadlow was instrumental in drafting President Trump's NSS. She emphasizes that the document's straightforward approach was intentional and aligned with Trump's clear vision for American interests. The NSS focused on four pillars: protecting the homeland, promoting American prosperity, preserving peace through strength, and advancing American influence. Notably, the document identified C...

Our latest SCSP Substack discusses the implications of DeepSeek’s R-1, a new large language model (LLM) developed by a PRC AI firm. The model has matched the performance of leading U.S. closed models at much lower compute costs, challenging the U.S.'s assumed technological leadership. Check out their conversation on the SCSP YouTube channel ! Memos to the President Podcast is a product of the Spec...

This episode focuses on the actions that will maximize AI's contributions to economic competitiveness, societal wellbeing, and national security while removing bureaucratic barriers to innovation.  Chart a path for AI development that protects the American people and national security. Streamline regulations for emerging technologies. Prioritize high-consequence use cases. Implementing a national...

We want to ensure the U.S. military opens up a commanding lead in innovation and lethality by doing the following:  Forge the World’s Most Dominant Fighting Force by Organizing and Equipping the Department of Defense for Unrivaled Lethality and Technological Supremacy; Seize and Hold the Commanding Ground in AI and Digital Warfare to Guarantee American Leadership in the Defining Battlespace of the...

This memo outlines a set of ambitious goals for reforming the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) that, if achieved, would position the IC to adapt to the coming wave of revolutionary technological change and improve its ability to protect the nation’s economic competitiveness in the decades ahead. Given the IC’s crucial role in securing the homeland and supporting the United States’ ability to pursu...

Given the critical nature of this decade to solidify American economic prosperity, social well-being, and global leadership, the United States should orient itself around three main objectives to dominate the technology stack of the future: Achieve and Maintain Leadership in Foundational Technologies. The United States must achieve and maintain a clear lead in the foundational technologies that wi...

This episode discusses not one, but two, new memos released by SCSP.  The first memo outlines a strategic framework for the United States to lead the evolving international techno-economic order, characterized by rapid technological advancements and intensifying geopolitical competition. We believe the United States must leverage its strengths to shape this new order and advance its economic and n...

The United States must act decisively to maintain its global leadership in the face of rising challenges from the People's Republic of China (PRC) and other authoritarian powers. This memo outlines five key objectives to ensure U.S. victory, focusing on: Expand American-led technology platforms globally: The United States should secure critical technology platforms by partnering with allies and la...

We argue, the United States must act decisively to maintain its lead in the critical emerging field of developing Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). This memo outlines key steps to ensure U.S. dominance in AGI, focusing on: Accelerating AGI development: Launching "moonshot" programs akin to the Apollo Program, Manhattan Project, and Operation Warp Speed to drive rapid innovation. Securing nece...

In this first episode of Memos to the President, Eric Schmidt, in conversation with Ylli Bajraktari at SCSP, discusses his new book "Genesis" co-authored with Henry Kissinger and Craig Mundie. He emphasizes the rapid advancement of AI, particularly highlighting the development of agents capable of complex tasks and the potential for AI to revolutionize programming and mathematics. Schmidt stresses...

Music: Grand Design by Stephen Keech Check out their conversation on the SCSP YouTube channel ! Memos to the President Podcast is a product of the Special Competitive Studies Project .