Lawfare Daily: Emily Benson on What Economic Security Is, and How We Should Think About It
Summary
In this Lawfare Podcast episode, Peter Harrell interviews Emily Benson, Head of Strategy at Minerva Technology Futures, to define economic security and discuss its practical applications. They explore the US need for resilient infrastructure in water, electricity, and agriculture, arguing that the focus on semiconductors has been overemphasized compared to critical supply chain vulnerabilities. The conversation also examines Europe’s struggle to decouple from American technology due to structural dependencies and trust issues, while analyzing China’s evolving legal frameworks for weaponizin…
Topics discussed
Introduction and sponsor reads
Guest introduction: Emily Benson and economic security
Defining economic security: spectrum of definitions
Militarization of economic security and critical infrastructure
Cybersecurity risks and the role of semiconductors
Strategic importance of chips and domestic supply chains
Europe's tech independence and US trust issues
The 'kill switch' myth and AI capability restrictions
EU data sovereignty and the difficulty of de-coupling
Future tech landscapes: embodied AI and geopolitical shifts
US-China strategy: leverage vs. integration and export controls
Sponsor segments: Upwork, Quince, Lexus, and Perk
Effectiveness of export controls and China's response
China's coercive economic measures and critical minerals
Identifying supply chain vulnerabilities and government capacity
Data challenges, AI tools, and private sector insights
Telecom security failures and institutional memory
Career advice for economic security professionals
Closing and final sponsor read
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