Frontier technologies are transforming international relations and the U.S. economy. As a result, more bridges between science and engineering labs, Washington, DC, and the world of business are needed. The Hoover Institution and Stanford University’s School of Engineering launched the Stanford Emerging Technology Review (SETR) in 2023. Now, in a partnership with the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), a new podcast series titled The Interconnect will strive to close that gap.
Each episode brings together leading minds in cutting-edge technology and foreign policy to explore recent ground-breaking developments, what is coming over the horizon, and the implications for U.S. innovation leadership.
“We are proud to partner with the Stanford Emerging Technology Review and combine the Council’s world-class foreign policy analysis with SETR’s deep technical expertise to explore the nexus of international affairs and frontier technology,” said CFR President Michael Froman. “Today, technology policy is at the very core of American foreign policy, and that’s why we created The Interconnect—to unpack the interplay between key frontier technologies and the United States’ role in the world.”
“We must help our leaders deal with a tomorrow that is going to be very different from today, and be aware that almost anything in the hands of an autocracy is going to look very different than it does with a democracy,” said Condoleezza Rice, sixty-sixth secretary of state and Hoover Institution director. “It is our hope that this podcast will help to navigate the developments and policy implications of these frontier technologies—which are rapidly shaping societies and economies around the world.”
The podcast’s launch accompanies the release of the 2025 edition of the Stanford Emerging Technology Review, which covers ten key frontier technologies, including several that are covered in the podcast series.
“At the Stanford Emerging Technology Review, we’re committed to helping government and business leaders better understand emerging technologies,” said SETR Co-chair and Hoover Senior Fellow Amy Zegart. “And we’re thrilled to partner with the Council to engage listeners in crucial conversations about key developments in those domains and how they will impact geopolitics and the future of American innovation leadership.”
The Interconnect is hosted by SETR’s Managing Editor Martin Giles and features a member or expert from CFR and a scientist or other academic expert from SETR.
The podcast begins on February 13 with an episode featuring CFR’s Technologist-in-Residence Sebastian Elbaum and SETR faculty council member and Stanford electrical engineering Professor Mark Horowitz. They discuss how trends in the chip industry are shaping the future of computing, the effectiveness of export controls that restrict international sales, and the issues policymakers need to focus on to bolster the U.S. domestic chip supply chain.
The second episode features CFR member and Chief Product Officer for OpenAI Kevin Weil and SETR faculty council member and Stanford mechanical engineering Professor Allison Okamura. They explore how artificial intelligence is transforming modern robotics, where more capable robots will have an impact on the economy, and why the United States still lags behind China, Germany, and other countries in deploying robots in manufacturing.
The third episode features CFR’s James H. Binger Senior Fellow in global governance and Project Director of the CFR Task Force on space policy Esther Brimmer and SETR faculty council member and Stanford aeronautics and astronautics Associate Professor Simone D’Amico. They discuss how space is being transformed by the shift from the dominance of government-owned systems to a new space economy driven by commercial companies. They also explore how this change creates compelling opportunities for mankind but also raises questions about how to ensure the responsible use of space today and for generations to come.
Every other week, a new episode will air on Thursdays, covering a range of additional topics, from outer space to artificial intelligence and biotechnology, as well as key themes that cut across technology areas, such as the vital role that universities play in foundational research.
To hear the trailer for The Interconnect, visit https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-interconnect/id1795993019.
Council on Foreign Relations
Founded in 1921, CFR is a nonpartisan, independent, national membership organization, think tank, educator, and publisher, including of Foreign Affairs. It generates policy-relevant ideas and analysis, convenes experts and policymakers, and promotes informed public discussion—all to have impact on the most consequential issues facing the United States and the world.
Stanford Emerging Technology Review
SETR is a partnership between the Hoover Institution and the School of Engineering at Stanford University. Its mission is to help the public and private sectors better understand the technologies poised to transform the world so that the United States can seize opportunities, mitigate risks, and ensure that the American innovation ecosystem continues to thrive.
