Morning Wire — "Manhattan Project 2.0: The Home Front Fight for AI"

Original Air Date: January 2, 2026
Hosts: John Bickley & Georgia Howe
Guest: Cabot Phillips (Daily Wire Senior Editor, Documentary Filmmaker)

Episode Overview

This special Morning Wire episode delves into the US government's dramatic new push for artificial intelligence (AI) supremacy, likening it to a modern-day Manhattan Project. Cabot Phillips, Senior Editor at Daily Wire and creator of a new documentary on the subject, shares first-hand insights from Oak Ridge National Laboratory and White House initiatives. The discussion explores the unprecedented federal investment in AI, national security implications, energy needs, private-sector collaboration, technological marvels, and the current rivalry with China.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Federal "Genesis Mission" — Uniting for AI Supremacy

• Historic Scope: The Trump administration has signed an executive order, dubbed the "Genesis Mission," channeling billions into AI research and infrastructure ([02:08-03:15]).
• Collaboration Scale: “They’re connecting 40,000 scientists all around the country at 17 different national labs... for the first time, they're all going to be working on the same AI system.” (Cabot Phillips, 02:20)
• National Security Parallel: AI is being treated with the same urgency as the development of the nuclear bomb, underlining fears that if rivals like China or Russia achieve a technological edge, the global balance of power could shift drastically.

2. Government Data for Private Innovation

• Data Access: “For the first time, private companies [will have] access to huge troves of government data...energy grids, weather, ocean floors, healthcare, all to train these new AI models.” (Cabot Phillips, 03:41)
• Directed Focus: Companies can use this data but must address White House priorities: advanced manufacturing, robotics, biotechnology, and nuclear fission.
• Privacy Concerns: “The data we’re giving is...not going to violate anyone’s privacy...It’s weather patterns, geological surveys, ocean floor mapping, things like that.” (Cabot Phillips, 04:57)

3. AI and the Energy Revolution

• Climate Policy Reversal: The administration is rolling back regulations from the previous administration, arguing that attempts to curb fossil fuel use hindered US AI progress.
• Nuclear Power’s Role: Facilities like Oak Ridge National Laboratory are being reinvigorated to provide the massive energy required for AI defense efforts ([05:51-07:07]).
• Quote: “A big part of this is peeling back those climate regulations that were hindering the use of AI... The energy grid we have now... isn’t going to support the type of energy we’re going to need.” (Cabot Phillips, 06:28)

4. Technology Deep Dive: Supercomputers and Neutron Devices

• The Neutron Scattering Device: At Oak Ridge, scientists use a warehouse-sized neutron device to create hyper-detailed 3D images of materials. "You can put things like a car engine into it and then you can shoot neutrons... it can help you find inefficiencies." (Cabot Phillips, 09:05)
• Open Access: Scientists nationwide can apply to use these multi-billion dollar tools for innovation.
• Frontier Supercomputer: “It’s one of the three most powerful computers on planet Earth... Each blade has more computing power than every computer on earth before 2000.” (Cabot Phillips, 10:54)
  • Used for AI model training and scientific research, acting as a national resource where knowledge and capability grows exponentially through collaboration.

5. Global AI Race: US vs. China

• China’s Lead: “China, by far, was the number one country that I heard referenced by political leaders and scientists.” (Cabot Phillips, 12:24)
• Resource Race: China’s edge in rare earth minerals and microchip production fuels concern. The US is investing billions to boost domestic chipmaking capacity.

6. Lessons from History and American Grit

• Manhattan Project Legacy: Phillips’s personal highlight was touring the original Oak Ridge nuclear reactor, a testament to American innovation against the odds ([13:07]).
• Inspiration: “It just left you in awe of realizing what America is capable of when we have our brightest minds working on it. We did it once... We have to now do it again.” (Cabot Phillips, 13:55)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Government-Private Collaboration:
  "President Trump is telling the private sector, ‘Hey, we have the data, we have the money, we have the infrastructure, you have the technology and scientists, let’s work together.’”
  — Cabot Phillips [04:17]

• On United States Urgency:
  “For folks in the Manhattan Project, it was critical that we developed an atomic bomb before Nazi Germany did. AI has been around for a long time, but it’s hitting critical mass now... We have to lead and win the AI race just like we did Manhattan Project.”
  — Energy Secretary Chris Wright [07:38]

• On Open National Labs:
  “There’s this entrepreneurial aspect…[Scientists] from all over the country fly in to Oak Ridge, Tennessee to conduct their experiments.”
  — Cabot Phillips [10:37]

• On AI & Power Demand:
  “What you should think of AI as doing is manufacturing energy into intelligence. One of the things about AI is that it not only consumes energy, but it actually can unlock more energy.”
  — Energy Secretary Chris Wright [07:07]

• On Legacy and Optimism:
  “Everyone’s saying there, the scientists, the politicians… ‘We did it once, we’ve done it many times. We have to now do it again. We’re America. We can do this, but we gotta collaborate.’”
  — Cabot Phillips [13:55]

Important Timestamps

• [02:08] — US "Genesis Mission" and AI as a national security imperative
• [03:41] — Federal data troves opening to private AI companies
• [05:51] — Energy needs, nuclear focus, and shift from climate regulation constraints
• [07:38] — Energy Secretary Chris Wright on parallels with original Manhattan Project
• [09:05] — Inside Oak Ridge: Neutron scattering device explained
• [10:54] — The Frontier supercomputer’s power and open access
• [12:24] — China as chief global rival in AI and chip production
• [13:07] — Reflections on the original Manhattan Project reactor and American innovation

Final Takeaways

• The US is dramatically escalating its AI efforts, uniting thousands of scientists and opening resources in a bid to stay ahead of geopolitical rivals, chiefly China.
• The project hinges on government and private-sector synergy, open access to data, and a revitalized energy grid (nuclear power highlighted).
• The government stresses transparency over data privacy, but critics remain cautious.
• The passion and optimism from those involved echo historic moments of American ingenuity—including the original Manhattan Project—building a narrative of national determination in a new era of technological warfare.

How to Watch the Documentary:
"Manhattan Project 2.0" is available on the Daily Wire YouTube channel, DailyWire.com, or the Daily Wire+ app ([14:32]).