Prophecy in the News

As one of his last acts as defense secretary, Lloyd Austin signed off on a classified strategy for countering unmanned systems (drones). The strategy addresses the increasing threat of cheap, AI-enabled drones and aims to develop a comprehensive, department-wide approach to counter them. The Pentagon is also investing heavily in AI to enhance drone warfare capabilities and defenses.

Visa, under CEO Alfred F. Kelly Jr., is actively working on central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and stablecoins, believing they can play a meaningful role in the payment space. Visa is advocating for public-private partnerships to support CBDCs and has filed a patent application for technology that would support connections between financial institutions and central banks. The company sees potential in reaching underserved populations through digitized currencies.

Palmer Luckey, founder of Anduril Industries, discusses the company's development of AI weapons and autonomous systems for the military. Luckey emphasizes the importance of elected officials maintaining control over the deployment of these technologies and the ethical considerations surrounding AI making life-and-death decisions. He also notes that sales of Anduril's military technology abroad require U.S. government approval.

Under Sarah Paquet's leadership, FINTRAC is using AI to analyze more data and detect suspicious activity, with staffing levels increasing to support these efforts. FINTRAC is also partnering with financial institutions to lower risks and has increased the frequency of meetings with larger banks. The agency's increased scrutiny comes amid probes and potential fines related to AML practices, indicating an increase in enforcement activities.

Palantir, co-founded by Peter Thiel, is playing an increasingly important role in military intelligence and is becoming a core part of the U.S. intelligence and defense apparatus. The company has secured numerous large contracts with government departments, including a $10 billion contract with the Army for software and data needs. Palantir's platform gathers data from various sources and uses AI to uncover hidden patterns, providing actionable insights.

Palantir, co-founded by Peter Thiel, has secured a $30 million contract with ICE to monitor undocumented immigrants, raising concerns about warrantless surveillance and racial profiling. Palantir's AI-driven platform, initially funded by the CIA, is now partnering with Israel, powering algorithmic warfare in Gaza and helping draw up kill lists. The Pentagon has also expanded its contract with Palantir for the Maven Smart System, increasing the ceiling to nearly $1.3 billion through 2029, underscoring AI's central role in U.S. military strategy.

Timothy Haugh, nominated to head U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency, is expected to continue the work of Paul Nakasone, including supporting the reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Section 702 allows the NSA to collect vast amounts of intelligence from U.S. technology providers about foreign espionage and overseas national security threats, but has raised concerns about the incidental collection and searching of data belonging to Americans.

Thirteen former employees of Palantir, co-founded by Peter Thiel, are condemning the company's work with the Trump administration, particularly its provision of "near real-time visibility" into the movement of migrants in the U.S. to ICE. Palantir's data-analyzing software uses AI to pull information from a multitude of sources and compiles it into charts, tables and heat maps, making it popular with law enforcement and the military.