Bloomberg Tech Defense Tech in Focus As Iran Conflict Widens
11 snips
Mar 2, 2026 Cynthia Kaiser, former FBI deputy director now leading ransomware research at Halcyon, discusses rising Iranian-linked cyber threats and organizational preparedness. Representative Sam Liccardo, Democrat from California, talks national AI policy and legal protections for firms limiting AI deployment. They cover defense tech demand, Anthropic-Pentagon fallout, and AI’s role in cyber defense.
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Markets Retraced After Initial Oil Shock
- Geopolitical escalation pushed oil up then markets retraced as U.S. session priced in lower inflation risk from falling oil.
- Ipek Oskar-Deska explained tech names diverged: data-center-heavy firms fell while defense and capital-light AI plays gained.
Make AI Safeguards Public Law Not Backroom Deals
- Congress and the administration should set public AI rules rather than leave them to private contract negotiations between companies and the Pentagon.
- Representative Sam Liccardo plans a Defense Production Act provision preventing federal retaliation against firms limiting how their AI is deployed.
Use Expert-Led Standards To Regulate AI
- Let industry and academic experts set AI best practices and offer firms preemption if they meet those standards.
- Sam Liccardo plans legislation to allow expert-driven best practices rather than monolithic edicts from government.