Ifeanyichukwu Charles Nweke

Scholar | Security, Coloniality & Global Affairs

@ISGA_Hague; @UniLeiden

[Ifeanyichukwu Charles Nweke @ICNweke]

Satya’s AI vision exposes capitalism’s inherent contradiction. It expands by cannibalising itself: taking resources from others. Satya highlights this in his reference to the impact of globalisation through outsourcing and hopes that AI will not bring back such a world. Of course, that capitalist world of robbing Peter to pay Paul is exactly what AI, especially on its current trajectory, will usher in. The sell-offs in technology stocks that follow new AI model releases are clear evidence of this, and I suspect this fear underpins Satya’s thesis. But to address it, Silicon Valley and its puppets in the White House need to move from championing “unregulated AI” to promoting intellectual fairness or an ecosystem approach, as Satya Envisions. Getting there would be incredibly challenging because, as Anthropic said recently and as Silicon Valley has shared, “China would win”. But there is currently no route to AI governance that does not require Chinese leadership. So the “China card” is self-defeating, and I think Satya’s proposal for AI values to flow across “every country” recognises this.

[Satya Nadella @satyanadella]

https://t.co/vLmiBKTtX3

[Ifeanyichukwu Charles Nweke @ICNweke]

Anthropic says AI poses an existential threat to humanity and suggests that “an option to slow or temporarily pause frontier AI development to enable societal structures and alignment research to keep up with the advances of the technology” would help. But they also suggest that doing so may allow “least cautious actors” (a euphemism for China) to win, unless it also pulls the brakes on frontier AI development.

Coincidentally (?), Anthropic’s warning came on the same day Javier Milei shared Argentina’s “commitment to keep AI unregulated so that it is free to be developed without the deadly hand of premature and poorly understood regulation”.

https://t.co/G7R5UeTkKY

https://t.co/xMN2IDmiGz

[☀️👀 @zei_squirrel]

John Mearsheimer: "It's not just Israeli leaders who support the genocide. You don't see any protest among the Israeli public. It's shocking. It's sickening. You have to file all this under the Nazification of Israel. They are like the Germans under Hitler."

[Daniel Jeffries @Dan_Jeffries1]

The most revealing thing about this AI leadership paper is that it reads less like a vision for innovation and more like a glossy whitepaper for a 21st century East India Company.

Every generation of incumbents discovers a new moral vocabulary for why they alone should control transformative technology.

In the 90s it was cryptography. We were told strong encryption was too dangerous to spread because terrorists, rogue states, chaos, dual-use, etc. So the US crippled exports, weakened products, slowed adoption, and kneecapped parts of its own software industry. Right up until reality steamrolled the policy and we woke up to its stupidity and then eCommerce, secure communications, software signing, and the modern internet exploded and gave us tremendous benefits.

Now the exact same priesthood has returned with AI.

- “Dual-use.”
- “Strategic advantage.”
- “Model distillation.”
- “National security.”

- “Responsible access.”
A few different nouns but mostly the same ones. Same instinct:

Centralize control, gatekeep compute, fuse state and corporate power, and call it safety.

The funniest part is that this strategy is almost perfectly designed to accelerate the thing they claim to fear.

You do not stop a rival superpower (who happens to be the absolute best at scaling energy and manufacturing and who has a choke-hold on rare Earths refinement) from building domestic capability by permanently attempting to strangle them.

You create the economic and political incentive for total self-sufficiency.

We have already done that as Jensen warned. We went from 100% market to nearly 0%. Huawei is now manufacturing millions of chips. DeepSeek v4 trained on them. They have more energy than the rest of the world combined. Meanwhile, we have activists and anti-economic fools like AOC and Bernie pushing for data center moratoriums and we can't build a single bullet train in 20 years and folks fighting to not expand the energy grid here and new nuclear plants getting tied up in environmental regulation for a decade.

The sanctions did the exact opposite of what the hawks wanted. They jumpstarted a moribund, dinosaur of a Chinese chips industry. We basically said to the people who happen control the most powerful manufacturing engine on the planet "we intend to squeeze you."

They rightly saw it as an existential threat.

The sanctions become the industrial policy.

Huawei. SMIC. Domestic lithography. Packaging. Memory. Entire Chinese supply chains that did not exist at serious scale a decade ago now exist precisely because Washington convinced Beijing they had no choice.

Brilliant work.

So the endgame here is what exactly?

1) Push China into a Manhattan Project for chips and AI.
2) Increase the strategic value of Taiwan even further.

3) Once China reaches self sufficiency that can invade Taiwan and choke off our own super advanced chips where are made there exclusively (and no we don't have even close to enough TSMC factories in Arizona or anywhere else in the world).

That's every NVIDIA chip. Every Google tensor chip. Every Apple chip. Every chip in you iPhone and Android phone. Every Amazon chip. The chips in your car and truck and hair dryer and washing machine.

4) Escalate a cold tech war into a permanent civilizational bloc conflict that is likely to turn into a shooting war at one point.

5) Fragment the global software ecosystem.

6) Create American AI aristocracies protected by regulation and compute licensing.

And somehow call this “open innovation.”

Meanwhile the actual history of software keeps screaming the opposite lesson:

Knowledge diffuses, open ecosystems win, developers route around gatekeepers, and attempts to permanently contain computation usually fail.

What really jumps off the page is the assumption that a tiny cluster of frontier labs should become quasi-sovereign actors, deciding who gets intelligence, who gets compute, who gets models, and which countries are permitted to participate in the future.

Not elected governments.

Not open markets.

Not open-source communities.

A handful of corporations sitting beside the national security state, insisting that concentration of power is necessary to protect democracy.

You almost have to admire the audacity.

[Ifeanyichukwu Charles Nweke @ICNweke]

According to Anthropic, the only way America can beat China in the “AI race” is by doubling down on expert controls. However, any credible view of fair competition would see how hypocritical this is. More broadly, Anthropic’s memo demonstrates that the orientalist view of China — once a bipartisan platform in Washington — is now also a common language among corporate America. But why are so many of them currently visiting China, with Tump if China is such a threat, not an opportunity?

https://t.co/7sq6aqfjuD

[Ifeanyichukwu Charles Nweke @ICNweke]

During Trump’s visits, Xi Jinping suggested America is in decline in his “Thucydides Trap” remarks. But Trump argues that Xi is referring to Joe Biden’s America, as America under his watch has “the strongest military on earth by far”.

...an awkward summit.

[Ifeanyichukwu Charles Nweke @ICNweke]

"Coinbase system access has been removed today."

Capitalism is brutal.

But don't worry, because other companies (that have not heard of AI) would want you because Coinbase rejected you.

...a hollow promise.

[Brian Armstrong @brian_armstrong]

This is an email I sent earlier today to all employees at Coinbase:

Team,

Today I’ve made the difficult decision to reduce the size of Coinbase by ~14%. I want to walk you through why we're doing this now, what it means for those affected, and how this positions us for the future.

Why now
Two forces are converging at the same time. We need to be front footed to respond to both.

First, the market. Coinbase is well-capitalized, has diversified revenue streams, and is well-positioned to weather any storm. Crypto is also on the verge of the next wave of adoption, with stablecoins, prediction markets, tokenization, and more taking off. However, our business is still volatile from quarter to quarter. While we've managed through that cyclicality many times before and come out stronger on the other side, we’re currently in a down market and need to adjust our cost structure now so that we emerge from this period leaner, faster, and more efficient for our next phase of growth.

Second, AI is changing how we work. Over the past year, I’ve watched engineers use AI to ship in days what used to take a team weeks. Non-technical teams are now shipping production code and many of our workflows are being automated. The pace of what's possible with a small, focused team has changed dramatically, and it's accelerating every day.

All of this has led us to an inflection point, not just for Coinbase, but for every company. The biggest risk now is not taking action. We are adjusting early and deliberately to rebuild Coinbase to be lean, fast, and AI-native. We need to return to the speed and focus of our startup founding, with AI at our core.

What this means
To get there, we are not just reducing headcount and cutting costs, we’re fundamentally changing how we operate: rebuilding Coinbase as an intelligence, with humans around the edge aligning it. What does this mean in practice?

- Fewer layers, faster decisions: We are flattening our org structure to 5 layers max below CEO/COO. Layers slow things down and create coordination tax. The future is small, high context teams that can move quickly. Leaders will own much more, with as many as 15+ direct reports. Fewer layers also means a leaner cost structure that is built to perform through all market cycles.

- No pure managers: Every leader at Coinbase must also be a strong and active individual contributor. Managers should be like player-coaches, getting their hands dirty alongside their teams.

- AI-native pods: We’ll be concentrating around AI-native talent who can manage fleets of agents to drive outsized impact. We’ll also be experimenting with reduced pod sizes, including “one person teams” with engineers, designers, and product managers all in one role.

In short: AI is bringing a profound shift in how companies operate, and we’re reshaping Coinbase to lead in this new era. This is a new way of working, and we need to leverage AI across every facet of our jobs.

To those who are affected
I know there are real people behind these decisions — talented colleagues who have poured themselves into this company and our mission. To those of you who will be leaving: thank you. You’ve helped build Coinbase into what it is today, and I am sincerely grateful for everything you've done.

All impacted team members will receive an email to their personal account in the next hour with more information, and an invitation to meet with an HRBP and a senior leader in your organization. Coinbase system access has been removed today. I know this feels sudden and harsh, but it is the only responsible choice given our duty to protect customer information.

To those affected, we will be providing a comprehensive package to support you through this transition. US employees will receive a minimum of 16 weeks base pay (plus 2 weeks per year worked), their next equity vest, and 6 months of COBRA. Employees on a work visa will get extra transition support. Those outside of the US will receive similar support, based on local factors and subject to any consultation requirements.

Coinbase prides itself on talent density. Our employees are among the most talented people in the world, and I have no doubt that your skills and experience will be highly sought after as you pursue your next chapters.

How we move forward
To the team that is staying, I know this is a difficult day. We’re saying goodbye to colleagues and friends you've been in the trenches with. But here’s what I want you to know as we move forward together:

Over the past 13 years, we have weathered four crypto winters, gone public, and built the most trusted platform in our industry. We’ve made it this far by making hard decisions and by always staying focused on our mission. This time will be no different – nothing has changed about the long term outlook of our company or industry. And most importantly, our mission has never been more important for the world. Increasing economic freedom requires a new financial system, and we’re building it.

The Coinbase that emerges from this will be more capable than ever to achieve our mission.

Brian

[Ifeanyichukwu Charles Nweke @ICNweke]

The World Bank is now saying that its 1993 warning against industrial policy was not ideological but instead “for countries that did not have decent education levels, low taxes on agriculture, modest fiscal deficits and moderate inflation.”

Time they said had changed and “Many more countries now meet the prerequisites for industrial policy.”

Of course, this account avoids the Western consensus that China’s rise is driven by industrial policy (aka overcapacity). Thus, the embrace of industrial policy, especially in the West, largely reflects a failure to get China to “reform” or “open the market”.

Thus, current industrial policy is a race to the bottom, which the World Bank is likely embracing because it is now the only game in town among great powers.

https://t.co/KYUxJeCQqW

[Ifeanyichukwu Charles Nweke @ICNweke]

"The United States’ treatment of North Korea reinforces the idea that nuclear capability can translate into both deterrence and diplomatic leverage.”

If the American-Israeli aggression against Iran has made anything clear to Iranians, it is that they are existentially threatened without nukes. Also, why ongoing “negotiations” nudging them to abandon nukes seem too optimistic.

https://t.co/F5e3iW66hV

[Ifeanyichukwu Charles Nweke @ICNweke]

Javad Zarif, one of the most recognisable Iranian figures, says Iran should “take the win” and “declare victory and make a deal that both ends this conflict and prevents the next one”.

This off-ramp, which he correctly states Trump desperately needs, also enables Iran to focus on building the future that Iranians deserve.

His thesis suggests that any agreement permitting America and Israel to resume bombing Iran may not be worthwhile. It might also clarify why Tehran is resisting, as achieving such an outcome through negotiation has proven futile. However, Zarif seems to imply that Iran can transform its current leverage into its desired goal.

https://t.co/v52JdiRpfO

[Ifeanyichukwu Charles Nweke @ICNweke]

Gideon Rachman writes that Iran emerging from this conflict stronger is bad for “global security” (Israel and America’s Gulf order, I suppose), but on the contrary, global security requires Iran to have credible and effective deterrence - one that Israel and America cannot bomb with impunity because doing so would carry a high cost.

A Middle East where Israel and America can bomb Iran at will isn’t a stable order; it is an insecure one. Mutual vulnerability disciplines that. This means Iran emerging from the conflict stronger isn’t necessarily a bad outcome for global security.

https://t.co/wgy1P9IdPK

[Ifeanyichukwu Charles Nweke @ICNweke]

Mark Rutte has determined that keeping Trump on board in NATO outweighs all other considerations, including international law.

Many are sceptical that this will succeed, and there are valid reasons to agree: Trump sees appeasement as a sign of weakness. And each instance of such appeasement is temporary and contextual. He will require more and will always return for it.

[Aaron Rupar @atrupar]

'The president doing this is crucial. I've seen the polling, but I really hope the American people will be with him because he's doing this to make the whole world safer" -- NATO Secretary Mark Rutte

[Ifeanyichukwu Charles Nweke @ICNweke]

"Iran’s drones are cheap, but using fighter planes to defeat them is ferociously expensive [...] the Shahed-136 costs $20,000-$50,000 [...] But it costs more than $25,000 an hour to keep a single F-16 fighter in the air."

Wars are wasteful, both economically and in other ways, and the American-Israeli war on Iran underscores these wastes even more, particularly the inefficiency of lavish air power - intercepting Iranian drones is costly and challenging.

https://t.co/P3piwLvgju

[Ifeanyichukwu Charles Nweke @ICNweke]

Elon Musk has often criticised the EU as unelected and “rules by bureaucracy, not democracy” (oversimplified). However, Robert Muggah demonstrates in this piece that Musk’s Starlink satellites have become a geopolitical tool, influencing how wars are fought, who wins and loses, and how the conflict is reported and perceived.

Electorates chose neither Elon nor Starlink.

For instance, compare the Gaza genocide blackout with the fact that Trump’s administration smuggled about 6000 Starlink terminals into Iran during recent anti-regime protests, to support anti-regime activities.

https://t.co/pE697StCAA

[Ifeanyichukwu Charles Nweke @ICNweke]

“And in a November survey by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 62 percent reported that their lives would not get worse if China were “to surpass the [United States] in global power and influence.”

An intriguing point that indicates that whether it involves bombing Iran or creating existential hypothetical scenarios such as "AI race” or China and implementing them as realities, the American foreign policy establishment may be acting alone.

The emperor may be waving a manufactured “consent.”

https://t.co/Z4HvtqT2kw

[Ifeanyichukwu Charles Nweke @ICNweke]

The idea that Israel lured Trump into war with Iran is no longer a mere speculation. Omani Foreign Minister, Badr Albusaidi, who facilitated talks between America and Iran hours before Trump and Israel started bombing Iran, puts everything in writing. America has lost control of its foreign policy (to Israel), and its allies must help by offering an off-ramp.

(@TheEconomist) https://t.co/RUsRD60Qbc

[Maarten van Rossem @maartenpodcast]

De stichting van Israël is een historische vergissing. Het is een gewelddadige, expansieve staat geworden die de wereld vaker in gevaar brengt dan beschermt.

[Ifeanyichukwu Charles Nweke @ICNweke]

“The elaborate and expensive courtship of Trump had bought Gulf states remarkably little. [….] This war will inevitably force a rethink.”

https://t.co/jQzlz0CRuu

[Ifeanyichukwu Charles Nweke @ICNweke]

From Greenland to Ukraine: Europe has nothing to gain but more to lose by downplaying international law.

“There is little to suggest that Europe’s courting of Trump has led to any long-term or sustainable change in his position on Ukraine” - @AnthonyDworkin

https://t.co/BYlrQYXT60

[Ifeanyichukwu Charles Nweke @ICNweke]

Pedro Sánchez offers urgently needed yet absent European leadership on Trump and Netanyahu’s strategy-free Iranian war: “this war is illegal [...and] its costs will be huge, and...will not be borne by the ayatollahs alone.”

https://t.co/soXiPhj5Xl