Forge Institute Demo Day
The discussion centered on the concept of the "warrior ethos" in the context of modern threats, including cyber concerns, critical infrastructure vulnerabilities, and great power competition. Key topics included defining the warrior ethos as a mindset focused on mission and winning, and the necessity for civilians and leaders to understand the high-threat environment involving adversaries like China, which engage in grayzone warfare through means such as fentanyl distribution, cyber attacks (e.g., Vault Typhoon), and human trafficking operations. Participants emphasized the critical need for public-private partnerships to build defensive capabilities and resiliency, particularly given the limitations imposed by laws like Posse Comitatus, which restrict direct military involvement in domestic matters. The discussion also covered supply chain risk, particularly in states like Arkansas which handle significant national resources, and the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for today's warrior, stressing the need to balance innovation protection with safeguarding against risks like foreign AI models infiltrating systems.