Candice’s Current Thinking
Weekly analysis and perspectives on the AI and policy landscape.
Iran and the Liar’s Dividend
In late December, protests broke out across Iran amid a deepening economic crisis. As demonstrations spread and authorities moved to suppress them, the Iranian regime imposed a near-total internet blackout beginning January 8. Amnesty International warned the shutdown was being used to conceal killings and prevent evidence from reaching the outside world.
The tactic is familiar. Internet shutdowns have long been part of Iran's playbook, designed to create doubt "and for us to be confused with who is telling the truth," experts say.
THIS WEEK IN AI
Each week I synthesize the key developments in AI and public policy so you don't have to. Here's what I'm watching:
• White House signals "Bring Your Own Power" model for data centers.
• Pentagon deadline to purge foreign AI from defense systems approaches.
• Bipartisan quantum legislation introduced in the Senate.
Owning the Future of Quantum Computing
On October 23, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump administration was exploring equity stakes in U.S. quantum computing companies like IonQ, Rigetti Computing, and D-Wave Quantum. The story surfaced just days before President Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, which took place on the sidelines of the APEC Summit amid heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing over trade and tech restrictions.
The Commerce Department denied they were “currently” in talks with quantum companies, careful phrasing that neither addressed prior discussions nor ruled out future ones. Quantum stocks rose and remained up, even after the denial.
Candice Bryant Consulting provides strategic intelligence, public affairs advisory, and communications strategy for organizations operating at the intersection of AI and emerging tech policy, national security and public-private partnerships.
“This is a 1996 moment for AI — the companies that show up in Washington will shape the next decade.”
— Candice Bryant