During my lifetime, national security meant managing threats we could see and count. We tracked enemy nuclear stockpiles, built command-and-control systems, and used diplomacy, military readiness, and deterrence to prevent a crisis. Nuclear safeguards didn’t erase the danger, but leaders understood that controlling a catastrophic technology could not be an afterthought.

AI is testing whether we still remember that lesson. It is changing how we gather intelligence, react to cyber threats, and plan military operations. AI is already part of our national defense. The question is who will control it.