In an investigative essay for the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Bernice Yeung traces how Silicon Valley’s AI companies have reversed decades of post-Cold-War distance from the Pentagon, driven largely by fear of Chinese technological advancement. She documents how these firms lobbied for AI deregulation, won billions of dollars in defense contracts, and placed executives in influential administration posts, arguing the reconnection has accelerated development of AI-enabled weapons systems despite employee resistance at several major labs. Yeung warns the shift has opened oversight gaps and conflicts of interest that current governance structures are not equipped to catch.
