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Articles by Michael Morell
AI Isn’t the Future of Our National Security. It’s the Present.
America and China are racing for technological supremacy, and the margin is razor thin. Today, tech supremacy is increasingly synonymous with artificial intelligence (AI) leadership. And China has an aggressive five-part plan to overcome what advantages America still has in AI. For decades, America’s military edge was unquestioned. That era is over. China is closing the gap fast, and the nations that move decisively now will lock in advantages that compound over time.
AI Isn’t the Future of Our National Security. It’s the Present.
America and China are racing for technological supremacy, and the margin is razor thin. Today, tech supremacy is increasingly synonymous with artificial intelligence (AI) leadership. And China has an aggressive five-part plan to overcome what advantages America still has in AI. For decades, America’s military edge was unquestioned. That era is over. China is closing the gap fast, and the nations that move decisively now will lock in advantages that compound over time.
AI isn’t the future of our national security. It’s the present.
(U.S. Army photo by Randi Stenson, Mission Command Center of Excellence) By Joseph F. Dunford, Frances Townsend and Michael Morell • Apr 17, 2026 America and China are racing for technological supremacy, and the margin is razor thin. Today, tech supremacy is increasingly synonymous with artificial intelligence (AI) leadership. And China has an aggressive five-part plan to overcome what advantages America still has in AI. For decades, America’s military edge was unquestioned. That era is over.
AI Isn’t the Future of Our National Security. It’s the Present.
America and China are racing for technological supremacy, and the margin is razor thin. Today, tech supremacy is increasingly synonymous with artificial intelligence (AI) leadership. And China has an aggressive five-part plan to overcome what advantages America still has in AI. Read Full Article » Show comments Hide Comments
AI Isn’t the Future of Our National Security. It’s the Present.
America and China are racing for technological supremacy, and the margin is razor thin. Today, tech supremacy is increasingly synonymous with artificial intelligence (AI) leadership. And China has an aggressive five-part plan to overcome what advantages America still has in AI. For decades, America’s military edge was unquestioned. That era is over. China is closing the gap fast, and the nations that move decisively now will lock in advantages that compound over time.
AI Isn’t the Future of Our National Security. It’s the Present.
America and China are racing for technological supremacy, and the margin is razor thin. Today, tech supremacy is increasingly synonymous with artificial intelligence (AI) leadership. And China has an aggressive five-part plan to overcome what advantages America still has in AI. For decades, America’s military edge was unquestioned. That era is over. China is closing the gap fast, and the nations that move decisively now will lock in advantages that compound over time.
Advancing America’s global AI leadership through digital diplomacy and strategic cooperation
As artificial intelligence reshapes the global landscape, America must seize the moment to lead AI’s development and deployment worldwide. By doing so, we can reinforce our alliances, secure our leadership in the technologies that will drive the 21st century and protect our national interests.
The Terrorism Warning Lights Are Blinking Red Again
From his confirmation hearing to become Director of Central Intelligence in May 1997 until September 11, 2001, George Tenet was sounding an alarm about Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda. In those four years before al Qaeda operatives attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Tenet testified publicly no fewer than ten times about the threat the group posed to U.S. interests at home and abroad.
The Terrorism Warning Lights Are Blinking Red Again
From his confirmation hearing to become Director of Central Intelligence in May 1997 until September 11, 2001, George Tenet was sounding an alarm about Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda. In those four years before al Qaeda operatives attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Tenet testified publicly no fewer than ten times about the threat the group posed to U.S. interests at home and abroad.
First Principles for Ensuring American AI Leadership
The United States and China are locked in a high-stakes competition for global technological leadership. Central to this contest is artificial intelligence (AI), a domain not merely of public interest but of profound strategic importance. AI holds the potential to redefine national security paradigms, fuel economic engines, and propel the influence of democratic – or authoritarian – principles across the globe, depending on which country wins the tech race.
First Principles for Ensuring American AI Leadership
The United States and China are locked in a high-stakes competition for global technological leadership. Central to this contest is artificial intelligence (AI), a domain not merely of public interest but of profound strategic importance. AI holds the potential to redefine national security paradigms, fuel economic engines, and propel the influence of democratic – or authoritarian – principles across the globe, depending on which country wins the tech race. Read Full Article »
Spy and Tell
On October 25, 1962, at the height of the Cuban missile crisis, Adlai Stevenson, the U.S. ambassador to the UN, confronted his Soviet counterpart, Valerian Zorin, in the chamber of the Security Council. Live on television, Stevenson grilled Zorin about whether the Soviet Union had deployed nuclear-capable missiles to Cuba. “Yes or no?” Stevenson demanded. As Zorin waffled, Stevenson went in for the kill: “I am prepared to wait for an answer until hell freezes over if that’s your decision.
As US positions with China, we must prioritize technological advantages over diplomatic wins
In the realm of international diplomacy, where brief moments can lead to lasting consequences, U.S. leaders must remain steadfast in their commitment to winning the race for global tech domination. This past week, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen unveiled her plan to improve economic ties with China in 2024. This comes on the heels of President Joe Biden’s highly anticipated meeting last month with China’s leader Xi Jinping.
To Win the Tech Race Against China, America Must Engage the Private Sector Original
Imagine a world where every click, every search and every text is monitored and censored by a repressive government. Where global technology standards are not set by democratic governments, but by authoritarian regimes that prioritize repression and control over freedom. Unfortunately, such a scenario is neither far-fetched nor far off: That’s the world’s digital future if the United States and its allies do not win the high-stakes tech competition with China.
Ensuring America wins the technology innovation race against China
It's the No.1 job for Congress and the White House Follow Us Search Search Keyword: Front Page Podcast Commentary Latest Cartoon Question of the Day How should the U.S. respond to the Chinese spy balloon? Question of the Day Launch our own spy balloon Impose sanctions on China View results By Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., Frances F. Townsend and and Michael J. Morell - - Monday, February 6, 2023 OPINION: China is America’s greatest geopolitical threat.
The Trade and Tech Council is a way to unify against China - unless Europe derails it
For eight decades, the United States and its European allies have worked side by side to protect their common security interests against threats from Russia. But a rising and emboldened China now presents a powerful “triple threat” to the West, endangering our collective national security, our economic prosperity, and our values. Unfortunately, the United States and the European Union (EU) see this threat from China very differently.
This obscure election will decide the fate of the open internet
Michael Morell was deputy director of the CIA from 2010 to 2013 and twice its acting director during that period. He is co-chair of the American Edge Project's National Security Advisory Board. The United States is engaged in a high stakes battle with Russia and China for global technological dominance. The winner will determine whether the future of the internet will be free and open or characterized by censorship and government control.
An Analysis of Bitcoin's Use in Illicit Finance
As Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies rise to record levels ahead of the direct offering of crypto exchange Coinbase, former Acting CIA Director Michael Morell is pushing back against conventional wisdom that says Bitcoin is ripe for illicit activity. In a report sponsored by the Crypto Council for Innovation (a lobbying group created by Coinbase, Fidelity Square and Digital Assets), Morell argues that Bitcoin isn’t any more exposed to illicit use than other forms of currency.
My Experience with Bitcoin and Challenging Conventional Wisdom
As Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies rise to record levels ahead of the direct offering of crypto exchange Coinbase, former Acting CIA Director Michael Morell is pushing back against conventional wisdom that says Bitcoin is ripe for illicit activity. In a report sponsored by the Crypto Council for Innovation (a lobbying group created by Coinbase, Fidelity Square and Digital Assets), Morell argues that Bitcoin isn’t any more exposed to illicit use than other forms of currency.
Why Michael Morell Cannot Be CIA Director
Authored by Ray McGovern via ConsortiumNews.com, As President-elect Joe Biden names his cabinet and other chief advisers, what has escaped wide attention is the fact that none of his hawkish national security advisers — except for his nominee for defense secretary, Gen. Lloyd Austin — has served in the military.
Why American Strategy Fails
James A. Winnefeld & Michael J. Morell & Graham Allison Foreign Affairs October 29, 2020 (AP Photo/Ali Abdul Hassan) Ending the Chronic Imbalance Between Ends and Means In January, either a second Trump administration or a Biden administration will face the most difficult foreign policy test the United States has experienced since the early years of the Cold War.
Why American Strategy Fails
In January, either a second Trump administration or a Biden administration will face the most difficult foreign policy test the United States has experienced since the early years of the Cold War. This test stems not just from specific challenges but also from a growing imbalance among four classic variables of grand strategy: ends, ways, means, and the security landscape.
John Ratcliffe is undermining U.S. intelligence. He should resign. - The Washington Post
Michael Morell, a contributing columnist for the Post, served as deputy director of the CIA from 2010 to 2013 and twice as acting director during that period. Mike Vickers served as undersecretary of defense for intelligence from 2011 to 2015.
Opinion | Trump is in debt. We can’t ignore the national security risks that come with that.
Michael Morell is a Post contributing columnist and has twice served as acting director of the Central Intelligence Agency. David Kris is a former assistant attorney general for national security. There is a powerful reason nearly all federal employees with access to classified information turn over deeply personal details about their lives and finances to security experts: Debts and other vulnerabilities can create weaknesses that our nation’s adversaries could exploit.
Don’t Let China Conclude Its Opportunity Is ‘Now or Never’
What “spark” or “trigger” will set the next war in motion? This question implies some peacetime crisis will escalate suddenly into armed strife that no one wants. There is no gainsaying that possibility—witness the brinksmanship during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, which brought the United States and Soviet Union to the verge of global nuclear war despite misgivings among decisionmakers in Washington and Moscow. Something similar could befall the world in the coming months or years.
Desperate Gambles of Dictators: The Taiwan Strait
By Captain Sam J. Tangredi, U.S. Navy (Ret.) March 1982. Buenos Aires, Argentina. The military junta ruling Argentina was losing the last shred of credibility—and, with it, control. In 1976, the junta had removed Juan Peron’s second wife from power in an attempt to restore political stability and economic prosperity.
The War that Never Was: Part Two
James A. Winnefeld Jr. & Michael J. Morell Proceedings September 22, 2020 The following is a letter from the Chief of Staff of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party to his son. In reality, it was his way to preserve history. In 2029, in very similar ways to the so-called Tiananmen papers in 2001, the letter was smuggled out of China and published in the West. Read Full Article »
The War that Never Was: Part Two
The following is a letter from the Chief of Staff of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party to his son. In reality, it was his way to preserve history. In 2029, in very similar ways to the so-called Tiananmen papers in 2001, the letter was smuggled out of China and published in the West. Dearest Son, It was close . . .
The World Wonders
By August Cole and P. W. Singer The following is a fictional treatment of how a world war could begin in the Pacific. It could be far easier than most believe, yet it might also be much harder to figure out exactly what happened to start it. AFTER DEADLY NAVAL SKIRMISH IN PACIFIC, WORLD WONDERS IF WORLD WAR III HAS BEGUN ISHIGAKI ISLAND, JAPAN – As the Hasagawa limps into harbor, the damage to the Japanese warship is about all that can be confirmed of the reported battle 250 miles offshore.
Pardoning Snowden only helps Putin, Mr. President
Edward Snowden addresses the Web Summit technology conference in Lisbon in 2019. (Armando Franca/AP) Michael Morell served as deputy director of the CIA from 2010 to 2013 and twice as its acting director; he is a contributing columnist to The Post. Mike Vickers served as under secretary of defense for intelligence from 2011 to 2015. In an interview with the New York Post in the Oval Office on Aug. 13, President Trump said he would consider pardoning Edward Snowden.
The War that Never Was?
James A. Winnefeld & Michael J. Morell, Proceedings August 12, 2020 Proceedings recently asked several frequent contributors how the next conflict might start. This essay is the first in the series. The beginning of major state-on-state conflict is almost always a surprise . . . at least to one of the two sides. The China–Taiwan conflict of early 2021 was no exception. The overlapping factors that brought it about now seem so obvious in retrospect.
The War That Never Was?
Proceedings recently asked several frequent contributors how the next conflict might start. This essay is the first in the series. By Admiral James A. Winnefeld, U.S. Navy (Retired), and Michael J. Morell The beginning of major state-on-state conflict is almost always a surprise . . . at least to one of the two sides. The China–Taiwan conflict of early 2021 was no exception. The overlapping factors that brought it about now seem so obvious in retrospect.
The Russian bounty intel catastrophe
When it comes to the issue of Russia and Afghanistan, here's what we can all agree on: There has been a stream of intelligence saying or suggesting that Russia offered bounties to Taliban-associated militants for the killing of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.
Opinion | Here’s how a normal administration would have handled the Russian bounty intel
Michael Morell was the deputy director of the CIA from 2010 to 2013 and was twice its acting director. He is a contributing columnist to The Post. Mike Vickers was undersecretary of defense for intelligence from 2011 to 2015. When it comes to the issue of Russia and Afghanistan, here’s what we can all agree on: There has been a stream of intelligence saying or suggesting that Russia offered bounties to Taliban-associated militants for the killing of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.
Opinion | A world of trouble awaits Biden if he wins
Michael Morell, a contributing columnist for The Post, was the deputy director of the CIA and twice acting director from 2010 to 2013. Mike Vickers was the undersecretary of defense for intelligence from 2011 to 2015. They worked for six presidents during their careers. When Franklin Delano Roosevelt became president in March 1933, the challenges he faced were profound — the depths of the Great Depression, calls for radical political change, and the rise of fascism in Germany and Japan.
Opinion | The only culprit in the Flynn ‘unmasking’ scandal is the Trump administration
There was no wrongdoing on the part of Obama administration officials who, during the presidential transition in 2016 and 2017, “unmasked” the identity of Michael Flynn, who was set to become national security adviser. Indeed, the only wrongdoing is by the Trump administration, which, in releasing last week a list of officials who made the unmasking requests, has yet again politicized the intelligence community.
Analysis: The national security implications of COVID-19
Michael Morell is a CBS News senior national security contributor and former acting director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Listen to this show on ART19 In this bonus episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell offers an in-depth analysis of seven potential national security consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trump Has Politicized U.S. Intelligence Agencies. It Could End in Disaster.
Argument Purging seasoned professionals and politicizing the work of analysts and agents endanger American lives. U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during the daily briefing on the coronavirus in Washington on April 24. Olivier Douliery/AFP/Getty Images The 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident occurred because the work of Soviet nuclear engineers—trained to analyze complex systems based on inferences drawn from objective facts—was politicized.
Opinion | The 6 factors that determine coronavirus containment or devastation
Michèle Flournoy was undersecretary of defense for policy from 2009 to 2012. She is co-founder and managing partner of WestExec Advisors. Michael Morell was deputy director of the CIA from 2010 to 2013 and was twice acting director during that period. He is the head of geopolitical risk at Beacon Global Strategies and a contributing columnist to The Post. We both spent hundreds of hours in the Situation Room trying to prevent crises or dealing with them when prevention failed.
Opinion | Four ways U.S. intelligence efforts should change in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic
Glenn S. Gerstell, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, was general counsel of the National Security Agency from 2015 to 2020. Michael Morell is a contributing columnist to The Post and the former deputy director and twice acting director of the CIA. The tens of thousands of men and women in our nation’s spy agencies who help keep us safe cannot work from home.
Opinion | The tragedy is that we knew this was coming
Michael Morell, a former acting director and deputy director of the CIA, is a contributing columnist for The Post. Kristin Wood is a former deputy director of innovation and technology at the CIA’s Open Source Center, and is a fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center. Why does this keep happening to us? Once again, we didn’t do enough to respond to a threat that the experts saw coming in advance. And, now we are paying the price. Experts have long seen a coronavirus-like pandemic as a threat.
A Note to the IC Workforce on the Whistleblower
OPINION — It is common for the leadership of the Intelligence Community to send notes to the workforce. The leaderships’ thoughts on all sorts of issues – from intelligence successes and failures to key personnel assignments and critical budget decisions and, yes, sometimes when the IC appears in the media as source or subject – are an important way to keep the workforce informed, to give them a learned perspective on an issue, and to bind the workforce together.
Opinion | The Baghdadi operation shows the intelligence community is doing its job in the face of political attacks
Contrary to some commentaries on the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the elimination of the leader of the Islamic State was more than a symbolic victory. The Islamic State’s loss of its caliphate in the Middle East this year was a blow to the group, but it was not defeated. And in recent months, it had already begun mounting a comeback, with 10,000 to 15,000 fighters coalescing in parts of Iraq and Syria, particularly along the Iraq-Syria border.
How the DNI-Congress feud puts intelligence and democracy in danger
Though many of the details about the growing dispute between Congress and the acting director of national intelligence still remain secret, the implications are already disturbing. This summer, a whistleblower complained to the inspector general for the U.S. intelligence community of an alleged "violation" of law, "abuse" of authority or similar problem.
Michael Morell and David Kris: How the DNI-Congress feud puts intelligence and democracy in danger
By Michael Morell and David Kris Special to the Washington Post Though many of the details about the growing dispute between Congress and the acting director of national intelligence still remain secret, the implications are already disturbing. This summer, a whistleblower complained to the inspector general for the U.S. intelligence community of an alleged “violation” of law, “abuse” of authority or similar problem.
Opinion | How the DNI-Congress feud puts intelligence and democracy in danger
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) speaks to reporters at the Capitol in Washington on Thursday. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP) By Michael Morell and David Kris September 19 at 9:58 PM Michael Morell served as the deputy director of the CIA from 2010 to 2013 and twice served as acting director; he is a contributing columnist to The Post. David Kris was the assistant attorney general for national security from 2009 to 2011. He served in both the George W.
Can John Ratcliffe rise above Trumpism?
Daniel Coats was the last man standing, the last of President Donald Trump’s initial national security team to leave his original post. Three others were fired or resigned — national security adviser Michael Flynn, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis. Only one of the original five — CIA director turned Secretary of State Mike Pompeo — was promoted. The president has announced that he will nominate Rep.
Opinion | Dan Coats is out. Should the Senate confirm John Ratcliffe?
Michael Morell served as the deputy director of the CIA from 2010 to 2013; he is a contributing columnist to The Post. Mike Vickers served as the undersecretary of defense for intelligence from 2011 to 2015. Daniel Coats was the last man standing, the last of President Trump’s initial national security team to leave his original post. Three others were fired or resigned — national security adviser Michael Flynn, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis.
Yes, a nuclear freeze is the logical next step with North Korea
George Danby | BDN George Danby | BDN By Michael Morell, Special To The Washington Post • July 15, 2019 12:00 pm Updated: July 15, 2019 12:07 pm Much discussion has occurred about a possible freeze of North Korea’s strategic weapons programs. Is it part of the Trump administration’s strategy in the hopefully soon-to-be-resumed talks with Pyongyang, or not? Is there a debate about it within the administration, or not? Is it a good idea, or not?
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