AI+ Expo Recap: Spotlight on the South Stage
Highlights from the South Stage at the AI+ Expo.
Hello, I’m Ylli Bajraktari, President of the Special Competitive Studies Project. Welcome to our latest newsletter, where we bring you a focused recap of the insightful sessions and groundbreaking discussions from the South Stage at the recent AI+ Expo! This stage served as a vital platform for exploring how emerging technologies, especially AI, are reshaping national security, scientific leadership, and industrial competitiveness, bringing together leading voices and innovative ideas.
Join us at the AI+ Science Summit!
SCSP’s AI+ Summit Series is a set of high-level events dedicated to enabling rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) as it transforms our country and becomes a keystone of our national security. The AI+ Science Summit, the fifth in this series, will take place on July 23, 2025, in Washington, D.C. We are excited to announce that Dr. José-Marie Griffiths, President of Dakota State University, Lily Kim, General Manager, Microsoft Discovery, and David Stout, Co-Founder & CEO, webAI will all be joining us as speakers! Stay tuned for additional speaker announcements coming soon!
Key Highlights from the South Stage
The South Stage hosted 34 sessions throughout the Expo, covering topics from energy, aerospace, semiconductor leadership, biotechnology and reindustrializing America. Here are some of the standout moments and discussions:
The Next Era of U.S. Energy Dominance: A Conversation with Secretary Wright
Summary: In a wide-ranging fireside chat, Secretary Wright outlined a bold vision for American energy leadership focused on affordability, innovation, and national security. He emphasized AI as a modern Manhattan Project, the urgency of accelerating fusion and nuclear development through industry and the national labs, and the need for honest, transparent energy policy. Reviving U.S. manufacturing, modernizing the grid, and strengthening public-private partnerships are central to his goal of making the Department of Energy a driver of growth across the American economy.
Speakers: Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Ylli Bajraktari, President & CEO, SCSP
Innovation and American Power: A Conversation with Sec. Condoleezza Rice, Moderated by George Lee
Summary: Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and George Lee of the Goldman Sachs Global Institute highlighted the importance of U.S. AI leadership, thoughtful governance, and strengthening technical expertise in government to navigate the global AI landscape. They discussed the evolving role of AI in areas like defense, education, and intelligence, noting both the opportunities and challenges—including algorithmic bias and the need for policymakers to stay engaged and informed.
Speakers: Secretary Condoleezza Rice, Director of the Hoover Institution, Stanford University and George Lee, Co-Head, Goldman Sachs Global Institute
Semiconductors and the AI Revolution
Summary: This panel explored the global race for semiconductor and AI leadership, focusing on rising competition with China and the strategic importance of chip design, manufacturing, and deployment. Speakers highlighted the challenges of enforcing export controls, the need for modernized policy tools, and the risks posed by supply chain vulnerabilities, especially around Taiwan. The conversation emphasized promoting innovation through R&D incentives, workforce development, and stronger domestic infrastructure.
Speakers: Vince Jesaitis, VP & Head of Global Government Affairs, Arm; Chris Miller, Professor of International History, Tufts University, SCSP Advisor; Dylan Patel, Founder & Chief Analyst, SemiAnalysis; Moderated by Stephen Witt, Author.
Thermodynamic Computing: Past, Present and Future
Summary: This session featured Guillaume Verdon, CEO of Extropic, who introduced his company’s work in thermodynamic computing as a transformative solution to AI’s escalating energy demands. Verdon argued that deterministic computing is becoming unsustainable and showcased Extropic’s probabilistic hardware, modeled on biological processes, for its significant energy and performance advantages.
Speakers: Guillaume Verdon, CEO, Extropic
Further Insights from the South Stage
In addition to the highlighted sessions, the South Stage featured several other impactful moments:
Coursera and SCSP were excited to launch an AGI microcredential at the AI+Expo, which readers can access and sign up to enroll in the course at this link.
Doug Beck, Director of the Defense Innovation Unit sat down with Kent Walker, President of Global Affairs at Google to discuss the intersection of commercial tech and national security. Moderated by Andrew Sollinger, CEO of Foreign Policy.
Senator Cynthia Lummis and Waymo’s Global Head of Public Policy, Michelle Peacock, explored the future of autonomous vehicles (AVs), emphasizing the importance of building public trust and establishing strong AV policy frameworks. The conversation was moderated by Emma Anderson, California Tech Editor at Politico.
Exiger CEO Brandon Daniels delivered a keynote address titled “American Ingenuity, Instant Industry, Global Advantage,” underscoring the urgent need to rebuild resilient, innovation-driven domestic supply chains for economic security, for global democracy, and to win the next era of geopolitical and industrial competition.
We encourage you to explore the full list of sessions from the South Stage on our YouTube channel for more in-depth content.
Looking Ahead
The discussions on the South Stage made one thing abundantly clear: America’s future in AI, national security, new discoveries, and industrial strength is being actively built through technological leadership, bold policymaking, and relentless innovation. We are excited by the progress and insights shared and look forward to seeing how these ideas continue to shape the future.
Stay tuned for more focused recaps from other stages of the AI+ Expo!