The principle that governments must hold a monopoly on overwhelming force should extend to superintelligence. AI at that level has the power to disorient political systems and financial markets, making its private control untenable. The state cannot be secondary to any private entity in this domain.

Ben Thompson argues that AI companies like Anthropic cannot operate in a vacuum of ideals. The fundamental reality is that laws and property rights are enforced by the state's monopoly on violence. As AI becomes a significant source of power, the government will inevitably assert control over it, making any private company's defiance a direct challenge to the state's authority.

The true cybersecurity risk isn't one company having a model like Mythos, but when several do. This creates a game-theoretic dilemma where exploiting vulnerabilities offers a greater first-mover advantage than patching them, incentivizing an offensive arms race between AI labs and the nations they reside in.

Anthropic's new AI, Claude Mythos, can find software vulnerabilities better than all but the most elite human hackers. This technology effectively gives previously unsophisticated actors the cyber capabilities of a nation-state, posing a significant national security risk.

The relationship between governments and AI labs is analogous to European powers and chartered firms like the British East India Company, which wielded immense, semi-sovereign power. This private company raised its own army and conquered India, highlighting how today's private tech firms shape new frontiers with opaque power.

As AI evolves into a significant source of power, private companies developing it cannot ignore governments. Ben Thompson argues that the state, defined by its monopoly on violence (the "people with guns"), will inevitably assert control over any technology this powerful, overriding corporate autonomy.

The US nuclear weapons industry operates as a hybrid: the government owns the IP and facilities, but private contractors like Honeywell and Boeing operate them and build delivery systems. This established public-private partnership model could be applied to manage the risks of powerful, privately-developed AI.

The US and China view AI superiority as a national security imperative comparable to nuclear weapons, ensuring massive state funding. However, this creates a major risk for investors, as governments may eventually decide to nationalize or control leading AI companies for military purposes, compressing multiples.

Alex Karp warns that if Silicon Valley is perceived as simultaneously destroying white-collar jobs and refusing to support the U.S. military, the political backlash will inevitably lead to the nationalization of critical AI technologies. He argues this is a predictable outcome that tech leaders with high IQs are failing to see.