How the War Department Learned to Stop Worrying and Love AI (with Naomi Klein), 2026.02.09

AI boosters and the US military are engaged in a lethal love affair. Award-winning journalist Naomi Klein joins Emily and Alex to discuss how glitchy technology supports global imperialism — and vice versa. Plus, we explore which Dr. Strangelove characters are currently running the US war machine.

Naomi Klein is a columnist for The Guardian and the international bestselling author of nine books published in over 35 languages. Her new book, End Times Fascism: And the Fight for the Living World, written with Astra Taylor, will be published in September 2026.

References:

• War Department press release on GenAI.mil
• Old-school racism from Anduril CEO Palmer Luckey
• "How artificial intelligence is reshaping the future of war"

Previous episodes referenced:

• Episode 61: Winning the Race to Hell (with Sarah Myers West and Kate Brennan)
• Episode 50: Petro-Masculinity Versus the Planet (with Tamara Kneese)

Fresh AI Hell:

• "Cops Forced to Explain Why AI Generated Police Report Claimed Officer Transformed Into Frog"
• "Amazon outbids WA utility for one of nation's largest solar projects"
• "AI data centers are forcing dirty 'peaker' power plants back into service"
• "Mamdani Targets 'Unusable' AI Chatbot for Termination"

Check out future streams on Twitch. Meanwhile, send us any AI Hell you see.

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Emily

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Alex

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Music by Toby Menon.
Artwork by Naomi Pleasure-Park.
Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.