National Security Law Today

<p>FISA 702 is back at the center of the national security debate. This week, Elisa is joined by Glenn Gerstell, senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and former General Counsel of the National Security Agency, to break down what FISA Section 702 does, what happened when it lapsed, and what could be at stake if Congress fails to act. Later, Elisa walks through several developments shaping the national security landscape, including proposals for government stakes in AI companies, weapons production among U.S. allies, critical minerals deals, and the spread of online-fueled violence.</p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.csis.org/people/glenn-s-gerstell">Glenn Gerstell</a> is a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and former General Counsel of the National Security Agency.</p><p><em>References</em>:</p><ul><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-110hr6304pcs/html/BILLS-110hr6304pcs.htm">FISA Section 702</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.odni.gov/files/NCSC/documents/Regulations/EO_12333.pdf">EO 12333</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid%3AUSC-prelim-title18-chapter121&amp;saved=%7CKHRpdGxlOjE4IHNlY3Rpb246MjcwMSBlZGl0aW9uOnByZWxpbSkgT1IgKGdyYW51bGVpZDpVU0MtcHJlbGltLXRpdGxlMTgtc2VjdGlvbjI3MDEp%7CdHJlZXNvcnQ%3D%7C%7C0%7Cfalse%7Cprelim&amp;edition=prelim">The Stored Communications Act (SCA)</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1383/text">The SAVE America Act</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/volume-172/issue-92/senate-section/article/S2467-1">The American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.state.gov/strategic-partnership-agreement-between-the-government-of-the-united-states-of-america-and-the-government-of-the-democratic-republic-of-the-congo">Strategic Partnership Agreement Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/national-security-law-today/id1276946676?i=1000769086632">NSLT, Ep. 421, "Cognitive Warfare: AI, False Realities, and the Laws of War with Gary Corn"</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2025/05/02/study-finds-alarming-role-played-by-social-media-in-sparking-racial-intimidation-in-north/">McClements, Freya. “Study Finds ‘Alarming’ Role Played by Social Media in Sparking Racial Intimidation in North.” <em>The Irish Times</em>, 2 May 2025.</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:50%20section:4565%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title50-section4565)&amp;f=treesort&amp;edition=prelim&amp;num=0&amp;jumpTo=true">Section 721 of the Defense Production Act</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/LSB/PDF/LSB11435/LSB11435.1.pdf">The Department of Justice’s First Lawsuit Enforcing a Presidential Order Under Section 721 of the Defense Production Act</a></li></ul>

<p>A new AI executive order is raising big questions about innovation, security, and government oversight. This week, Elisa speaks with Josh Geltzer, Partner at WilmerHale and former Deputy White House Counsel and Legal Advisor to the National Security Council, about the Trump administration’s new framework for securing frontier AI models before they reach the public. Together, they explore what voluntary early access could mean for leading AI companies, how the federal government may respond to national security risks, and whether this kind of public-private process could eventually evolve into a stronger legal framework. </p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.wilmerhale.com/en/people/joshua-geltzer">Josh Geltzer</a> is a Partner at WilmerHale, where he focuses on national security issues including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, CFIUS, crisis management, and national security-related litigation.</p><p></p><p><em>References:</em></p><ul><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/06/promoting-advanced-artificial-intelligence-innovation-and-security/">Executive Order: “Promoting Advanced Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Security.” The White House, June 2, 2026.</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/12/eliminating-state-law-obstruction-of-national-artificial-intelligence-policy/">Executive Order: “Ensuring a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence.” The White House, December 11, 2025.</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.justice.gov/jm/jm-9-48000-computer-fraud">The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA)</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/@NationalSecurityLawTodayPod">Subscribe to our YouTube</a></li></ul>

<p>Project Maven stands as one of the earliest and most consequential efforts to bring AI into military operations. This week, Elisa sits down with Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan, former Director of the Department of Defense’s Joint Artificial Intelligence Center and founding Director of Project Maven, to explore how AI entered the battlefield and why it became a strategic priority for the U.S. military. Together, they examine the development of Project Maven, the challenges of using massive troves of defense data, the risks of data manipulation, and how the U.S. can think responsibly about AI, autonomy, and military advantage in the decades ahead.</p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/14UGFY38WsAFOPimExqhq5xgiizBRN1zB/view?usp=sharing">Lt. Gen. John “Jack” Shanahan</a>, USAF Ret., is the former inaugural Director of the Department of Defense’s Joint Artificial Intelligence Center and founding Director of Project Maven, the DoD’s first operational AI program. </p><p><em>References:</em></p><ul><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.amazon.com/Project-Maven-Marine-Colonel-Warfare/dp/1324123311">Manson, Katrina. <em>Project Maven: A Marine Colonel, His Team, and the Dawn of AI Warfare</em>. W. W. Norton &amp; Company, 2026.</a></li></ul>

<p>This week, we revisit Elisa’s conversation with Margaret Hu, Professor of Law at William &amp; Mary, and Davi Ottenheimer, Vice President of Trust and Digital Ethics at Inrupt, to examine the vulnerabilities embedded in our digital footprints. Together, they discuss microtargeting, the exploitation of personal data, and how a stronger federal data privacy framework could better protect individuals, institutions, and public trust.</p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://law2.wm.edu/faculty/bios/fulltime/mhu05.php">Margaret Hu</a> is the Taylor Reveley Research Professor and Professor of Law, and Director of the Digital Democracy Lab, at William &amp; Mary Law School</p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YP71nB5d6tmmZYerr33mAhCIV1u11tUz/view?usp=share_link">Davi Ottenheimer</a> is Vice President of Trust and Digital Ethics at Inrupt</p><p><em>References:</em></p><ul><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://events.americanbar.org/event/7d16dbb7-d334-4973-a5f5-cefbe2fa2ece/summary"><strong>Register</strong></a>: Luncheon program featuring former DOJ Assistant Attorneys General for National Security – June 4th at 12PM, at the University Club in Washington DC</li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/@NationalSecurityLawTodayPod">Subscribe to our Youtube</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/national-security-law-today/id1276946676?i=1000669956704">Ep. 340, Unchecked AI and the Exploitation of Personal Data: National Security Implications with Margaret Hu and Davi Ottenheimer (Part 2)</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/national-security-law-today/id1276946676?i=1000527506461">Ep. 179, Algorithms – Who's in Control? with Alex Stamos (Part 1)</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/national-security-law-today/id1276946676?i=1000528281300">Ep. 180, Algorithms – Who’s in Control? with Alex Stamos (Part 2)</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/russias-war-of-attrition-massive-losses-and-tiny/id1276946676?i=1000754874789">Ep. 411, Russia’s War of Attrition: Massive Losses and Tiny Gains with Seth Jones</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-drone-disruption-how-autonomous-systems-are/id1276946676?i=1000761367303">Ep. 416, The Drone Disruption: How Autonomous Systems Are Reshaping the Battlefield with Dawn Zoldi</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.csub.edu/its/security/california-sb-1386.shtml#:~:text=California%20SB%201386%20%2D%20Personal%20Information%3A%20Privacy&amp;text=Under%20the%20law%2C%20covered%20parties,acquired%20by%20an%20unauthorized%20person.">California SB 1386, Overview</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://gdpr-info.eu/">The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://artificialintelligenceact.eu/">The EU Artificial Intelligence Act, Overview</a></li></ul>

<p>AI and the modern information ecosystem are making reality harder to verify, and easier to weaponize. This week, Elisa Poteat is joined by Gary Corn, Program Director and Adjunct Professor of Technology, Law and Security at American University Washington College of Law, to discuss his recent article, “<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1156&amp;context=research"><em>Cognitive Warfare: Generative AI, False Realities, and International Humanitarian Law.</em></a>” Together, they explore how cognitive warfare has been used throughout history, how deepfakes and synthetic media could accelerate its effects, and what international humanitarian law can, and cannot, do to address the risks AI poses to civilians, truth, and modern conflict.</p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.american.edu/wcl/faculty/gcorn.cfm">Professor Gary Corn</a> is Director of the Technology, Law &amp; Security Program and an adjunct professor of cyber and national security law and the law of armed conflict at American University Washington College of Law.</p><p><em>References:</em></p><ul><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1156&amp;context=research">Corn, Gary P. “Cognitive Warfare: Generative AI, False Realities, and International Humanitarian Law.” <em>American University Washington College of Law</em>, 2025.</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/132/132-h/132-h.htm">Sun-tzu. <em>The Art of War</em>. Translated by Lionel Giles, Project Gutenberg, 1994.</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4CGYNsoW2iD7QKVp9U-TffXSYtWB0zLo">Video Series: <em>Operation InfeKtion</em>. <em>The New York Times Opinion</em>, 2018.</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.icrc.org/sites/default/files/external/doc/en/assets/files/other/law1_final.pdf">The Law of Armed Conflict Overview</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution-conan/article-4">U.S. Constitution, Article IV: Relationships Between the States. <em>Legal Information Institute</em>, Cornell Law School.</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://lieber.westpoint.edu/about/team/profile/?smid=6283">Gary Corn Articles of War Profile. <em>Lieber Institute for Law &amp; Warfare</em>, United States Military Academy at West Point.</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/national-security-law-today/id1276946676?i=1000669956704">NSLT, Ep. 339, "Unchecked AI and the Exploitation of Personal Data: National Security Implications with Margaret Hu and Davi Ottenheimer (Part 1)"</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/national-security-law-today/id1276946676?i=1000754874789">NSLT, Ep. 411, "Russia’s War of Attrition: Massive Losses and Tiny Gains with Seth Jones"</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/national-security-law-today/id1276946676?i=1000761367303">NSLT, Ep. 416, "The Drone Disruption: How Autonomous Systems Are Reshaping the Battlefield with Dawn Zoldi"</a></li></ul>