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Informing your decisions with actionable intelligence
This week’s member only OODA network dispatch provides insights into some of the dramatic changes underway in US and Chinese robotics and AI capabilities as well as an update on the geopolitical dynamics set off by the trade war.
We held our March member meeting video call today. Topic was federal government spending on AI. We kicked off the discussion with OODA network member Harvey Morrison of Marion Square. Harvey and his team have researched government spending, policy and programs on AI and provided a great overview relevant to any seeking to better comprehend how to serve government missions in the AI and data domains. We will provide a summary for members on our site soon.
These monthly sessions are a great way to stay in synch with a good subset of our community. It is also great that we can all be digitally connected via slack. But nothing beats direct in-person networking. We have two opportunities for that in April:
NYC 2 April: Matt, Bob, Daniel and many from the OODA network will be in New York City for Deep Tech Week. On 2 April at 10am we are hosting an exclusive gathering specifically designed to inform deep tech startups and investors about pressing mission needs across the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community—we’d be thrilled to have you join us. For more and to register see: https://lu.ma/ooda-security
For the full calendar of events that week see: https://nyc-deep-tech-week.com/
SF 30 April: We are co-hosting an OODA social event (thanks to Cooley!) during RSA week in San Francisco on 30 April. Please register so we can get an accurate count. We have room for guests so if you would like to bring others you think would be good to introduce to others have them register here too: https://lu.ma/3wtxnmr2
Every day in our OODA Daily Pulse our analysts summarize stories in tech, cybersecurity and geopolitics. Scan all tech, cyber and geopolitical news at: https://oodaloop.com/briefs-archive/
US and Chinese robotics start-ups now attract 75% of global venture funding, cementing their lead in a sector key to industrial dominance and national security. At Nvidia GTC 2025, the company debuted Blackwell Ultra and Groot N1(for humanoid robotics), further pushing boundaries in AI model scalability and robotics. Microsoft expanded its Copilot product line with deep reasoning agents, while also unveiling Security Copilot AI agents for cybersecurity teams. In the quantum race, JPMorgan and partners achieved true randomness using a 56-qubit system, and Equal1 introduced the first silicon-based quantum computer powered by a wall outlet. On the open-source front, Alibaba launched the multimodal Qwen2.5-Omni-7B, and DeepSeek released v3-0324, continuing China’s rapid progress in generative AI.
Malicious actors are leveraging fake DeepSeek ads to spread malware, and GitHub Actions were compromised in a supply chain attack affecting 23,000+ repositories. Meanwhile, Microsoft is patching one of the largest batches of zero-day vulnerabilities ever, and AI agents are increasingly used in account takeovers, Gartner reports. Law enforcement cracked down globally: the FBI disrupted a Hamas-linked crypto laundering scheme, Interpol arrested 300 suspects in Africa, and a security firm hacked and crippled a ransomware gang’s infrastructure. Notably, China unveiled a deep-sea cable-cutting drone, signaling its strategic interest in undersea internet infrastructure warfare.
Russia and the U.S. concluded high-stakes Ukraine ceasefire talks in Riyadh, with a joint statement expected. Israel resumed airstrikes in Gaza, warning it’s “only the beginning,” while Netanyahu pushed a controversial judicial overhaul through parliament. Tensions escalated in Asia as North Korea tested AI suicide drones, China warned of Nvidia H20 shortages, and Taiwan increased its defense budget above 3% of GDP. South Sudan’s fragile peace has collapsed, raising fears of renewed civil war. Australia and Peru announced general elections, while Germany reopened its embassy in Syria for the first time in 13 years.
Ant Group touted an AI training breakthrough using Chinese chips, reducing costs by 20%. Microsoft, OpenAI, Google, and Amazon continue racing to integrate AI across platforms — Amazon is testing shopping and health chatbots, while Google is deploying Gemini 2.5 Pro and Project Astra. OpenAI introduced image generation in GPT-4o, and Anthropic launched AI collaboration tools for enterprise teams. Amid all this, Meta is testing its first in-house AI chip, and FuriosaAI rejected an $800 million buyout from Meta, choosing independence. Meanwhile, JD Vance is heading a U.S. visit to Greenland as tensions with China continue to mount geopolitically and economically.
OpenAI urged the U.S. government to preempt state-level AI regulations and advocated for banning PRC-produced models, escalating the AI policy divide. A survey revealed that AI is causing internal strife in organizations, with half of executives admitting it’s “tearing their company apart.” Meanwhile, RedCurl, a known espionage group, pivoted to ransomware, and the U.S. FCC is investigating Chinese vendors allegedly skirting security bans.
Overall, the week underscored a sharpening technological divide between the U.S. and China, driven by rapid AI progress, strategic competition in quantum and robotics, and an escalating global push to control cybersecurity, infrastructure, and narrative power.
Recent OODA Analysis
For a directory of all OODA analysis see: https://oodaloop.com/analysis/
OODA Loop’s recent coverage reflects the intensifying interplay between AI advancement, cybersecurity, quantum breakthroughs, and national security. The Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) has proposed a strategic framework for mandatory AI incident reporting to address emerging safety risks. Meanwhile, the 2025 Annual Threat Assessment from the U.S. Intelligence Community outlines top global dangers, underscoring the urgency of cyber readiness and geopolitical awareness. AI performance is doubling rapidly—completing complex human tasks with increasing autonomy—mirroring Moore’s Law and reshaping business strategy. China’s quantum satellite link with South Africa marks a new milestone in global secure communications. The selection of HQC as a post-quantum encryption backup by NIST signals heightened preparations for quantum-era threats. As SBIR and STTR programs continue to support emerging tech startups, tools like Anthropic’s MCP and Blender integration point to a future where open-source, spatial AI drives the next frontier of digital creativity and defense capability.
For details on all of that see:
Join us in Slack to discuss these and other topics of interest to our membership.
https://join.slack.com/t/oodaloop/shared_invite/zt-2qbz0tkja-UP7JIO6yKzOA2DIeJasnKg
We maintain an online calendar of events for your reference at: https://oodaloop.com/events/
Coming events include:
Thanks for your support!
Matt Devost, Bob Gourley, and the OODA Loop team.
About the Author
Bob Gourley is an experienced Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Board Qualified Technical Executive (QTE), author and entrepreneur with extensive past performance in enterprise IT, corporate cybersecurity and data analytics. CTO of OODA LLC, a unique team of international experts which provide board advisory and cybersecurity consulting services. OODA publishes OODALoop.com. Bob has been an advisor to dozens of successful high tech startups and has conducted enterprise cybersecurity assessments for businesses in multiple sectors of the economy. He was a career Naval Intelligence Officer and is the former CTO of the Defense Intelligence Agency.
Informing your decisions with actionable intelligence
Informing your decisions with actionable intelligence