Podcast Summary

Podcast: Next Up with Mark Halperin
Episode: How to Stay Ahead of the AI Revolution and What It Means for the Future of America, with Jeremy Jones
Date: February 19, 2026
Host: Mark Halperin
Guests: Jeremy Jones (Co-Founder, Redder AI), Joe Cunningham (Former Congressman), Natalie Winters (White House Correspondent)

Episode Overview

This episode of Next Up with Mark Halperin is devoted to unraveling the reality, challenges, and opportunities of the AI revolution—and what it will mean for Americans, politics, and the economy. Mark Halperin opens with a monologue on the urgent need for ordinary Americans to engage with AI, pushing back on fears and misunderstandings. The centerpiece is a wide-ranging interview with Jeremy Jones, an entrepreneur whose work with AI-driven political consulting is disrupting traditional campaign strategy. The episode closes with a panel—including Joe Cunningham and Natalie Winters—diving into AI’s influence on foreign policy, political donations, and the future for America’s children.

Mark Halperin’s AI Monologue (00:52–25:35)

AI Is as Transformative as the Internet

• Mark stresses the seismic importance of AI:

  "I cannot believe how important it is and how little conversation there is amongst regular folks." (00:52)

• He likens AI’s era to the early days of the internet, warning that dismissing AI as a fad is a mistake, and urges everyone—regardless of education or wealth—to engage or risk falling behind.

The Haves and Have Nots of the AI Revolution

• A recurring theme is how AI could widen inequalities:

  "AI has the potential to exacerbate the haves and the have nots. Because to use AI as a powerful tool… requires intellect and it requires time and focus and accumulation of knowledge." (03:40)

• Even sophisticated professionals risk obsolescence if they don’t actively learn AI tools.

Responding to Public Attitudes (Clip Referenced: Squawk Box, 06:22–07:44)

• Mark critiques the tendency to reduce AI’s impact to job replacement in niche sectors (like travel agents):

  "This is so much bigger than that… get out of the mindset of this is going to put some things out of business and think about it positively." (07:46)

Practical Advice from Matt Shumer’s Viral Essay (15:00–25:35)

Mark summarizes Shumer’s five-pronged approach for individuals to thrive with AI:

1. Commit to Daily Experimentation
   • "You got to commit to daily experimentation with AI… He recommends an hour a day." (17:47)
2. Invest in Paid AI Tools
   • "The paid versions… are much better and they'll continue to get better." (18:38)
3. Use AI for Problem Solving, Not Just Search
   • "Do not treat it as a search engine. Treat it as... a high capacity problem solver." (19:25)
4. Build Adaptability as a Core Skill
   • "You've got to constantly be thinking anew… as the models get better." (19:47)
5. Be a Builder and a Dreamer
   • "Some of you have a builder mentality… You can build things with it. You can dream your biggest dream." (20:18)

• Mark connects these principles to broader economic ideas:

  "If something becomes abundant… there's always going to be a thing adjacent to it that becomes rare and therefore becomes very valuable." (22:13)

• The argument: as AI makes tasks widespread and cheap, "the rare, authentic, human experience" gains value.
• Optimism:

  "Side with hope, side with human possibility. Don’t think of this as something that’s going to destroy humanity. Think of it as something that's going to empower humanity and be on the 'have' side to be empowered yourself." (25:30)

Jeremy Jones Interview: Disrupting Politics with AI (26:35–46:15)

Jeremy’s Entrepreneurial Journey (27:22–30:58)

• Jeremy traces his drive to his childhood and his mother's encouragement of curiosity and independence:

  "My mom is the reason why I do what I do… Never to stop asking why." (27:41)

• His business background is diverse—powerlifting, running gyms, restaurants—before encountering government dysfunction, which led to his current work.

Why AI?

• Jeremy explains AI is not a bolt-on feature for his company—it is the business:

  "AI to me is like energy… When you talk to a general person… 90% of people will think of something like ChatGPT." (32:19)

• He uses a cooking analogy:

  "If I ask my 3-year-old to make me cookies… she still would not be able to make great cookies. But… a Michelin star trained chef… knows what to do. That’s really how we leverage these systems." (33:13)

Technical Approach (Palantir Analogy, 33:13–34:47)

• Jones’s firm, Redder AI, doesn’t build its own large language models but specializes in crafting sophisticated prompts and sourcing robust datasets.
• Their prompts are "pages long" and datasets can be massive.

Clients and Use Cases (34:47–36:32)

• Current clients include government agencies and political candidates (e.g., Wesley Hunt, Steve Hilton).
• They focus on "polling" and campaign messaging, leveraging AI to analyze massive data sets quickly and accurately.

Replacing Traditional Polling (36:32–41:56)

• Halperin: "What you do is going to make political polling obsolete, right?" (36:32)
• Jeremy: Instead of calling a sample, they analyze sentiment across thousands of online data points, ranking their importance and assessing public mood in real-time:

  "We code every single one of those [comments/interactions] positive, negative, and then we code those deeper: joy, sadness, anger, disgust…" (38:01)

• Their "polling" is cheaper, faster, and (by their tests) more accurate.

Bridging the AI Understanding Gap (41:56–43:38)

• Jeremy admits the difficulty of explaining what he does—even to family:

  "My wife doesn’t even understand what I do… It’s extremely difficult." (42:21)

• He advocates collaboration:

  "…Plugging in someone like you [Halperin]… into those [AI] systems… that is dynamite. That is pure gold." (43:38)

Practical Advice for Beginners

• Jeremy’s advice:

  "Just start using it… Start asking it. You can ask it, 'Hey, Gemini, what should I use you for?'… The more you use it, the more you'll understand that these things can really be magical." (44:22–45:06)

Panel Discussion: AI, Foreign Policy, and the Future (48:17–71:47)

AI and National Security (49:02–54:54)

• Natalie Winters: Distinction between "America First" (MAGA) and neoconservative stances on use of force; Trump rhetoric has shifted, but practice is murkier.
• Joe Cunningham: Perception of bipartisan aversion to "boots on the ground;" generational skepticism rooted in post-9/11 wars:

  "There's a generational hesitancy… There is a lot of reservation…" (51:47)

Technology, Defense, and China

• Natalie: US foreign policy shifting towards tech-based off-the-ground interventions; concern over China’s dominance in rare earth elements:

  "…China uses...air defense systems that we’ve demonstrated we can bypass—relevant regarding Taiwan. The rare earths are a very strong cudgel that the PRC has…" (58:57–61:18)

• Joe: Bipartisan anti-China sentiment is one of the few major points of agreement on Capitol Hill.

AI Money in Politics (63:13–66:50)

• Halperin notes that Big Tech and AI firms are starting to pour millions into campaigns seeking political goodwill and regulatory advantage.
  • Joe Cunningham:

    "I think the public should be very concerned…" (63:41)

  • Natalie: MAGA is skeptical of AI’s popularity and AI-related immigration, wary of corporate money distorting priorities.

Which Party Will Win the AI Arms Race? (67:13–70:24)

• Joe:

  "My gut tells me Republicans will benefit more from campaign contributions… Democrats are more likely to pursue regulation, so AI firms might prefer Republicans." (67:57–68:29)

• Natalie:

  "Democrats are already integrating AI into protest infrastructure… They're always better at organizing than us… I do think Democrats are better at doing [digital targeting]." (69:26–70:24)

The Future for America’s Children (70:24–71:47)

• Natalie: The outcome depends on global AI competition, especially with China; fears cyborg trends may reshape childhood itself.
• Joe: Bullish overall, forecasts some pain and mistakes before America finds its AI footing, as with the internet revolution.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• Mark Halperin: "AI has the potential to exacerbate the haves and the have nots." (03:40)
• Mark Halperin: "Get out of the mindset of this is going to put some things out of business and think about it positively." (07:46)
• Jeremy Jones: "My mom is the reason why I do what I do… Never to stop asking why." (27:41)
• Jeremy Jones: "Our prompts aren't paragraphs long, they're usually pages long… that's really where the magic happens." (33:13)
• Jeremy Jones: "We code every single one of those… then we rank and order those for how important they are." (38:01)
• Mark Halperin: "If something becomes abundant…there’s always going to be a thing adjacent to it that becomes rare and therefore becomes very valuable." (22:13)
• Natalie Winters: "I don't think AI is overwhelmingly popular among the MAGA base… I think they have a lot of valid questions." (65:15)
• Joe Cunningham: "I think the public should be very concerned with… the threats AI, but particularly social media, has against our most vulnerable in society, our children." (63:41)

Key Takeaways

• AI is Already Reshaping Politics:

  • Campaign strategies, polling, and public sentiment analysis are being radically transformed by AI tools, enabling real-time, granular data mining that outpaces traditional polling.

• Public Understanding and Engagement are Lacking:

  • The barrier is not ignorance but the time and willingness to experiment with new tools; daily practice is essential.

• The AI Economy May Deepen Inequality—Unless Individuals Act:

  • The divide between those leveraging AI and those left behind can mirror or exceed today’s social divides.

• AI Will Change, But Not Replace, All Work:

  • As mass production automated tasks, AI will push human value towards rare, authentic, or "live" experiences and novel problem-solving.

• Bipartisan Skepticism Meets Policy Urgency:

  • Both parties see AI’s regulatory, economic, and national security implications, though approaches differ. AI is not perceived as universally popular or unambiguously good.

• Advice for Everyone:

  • Start experimenting now—don’t wait for someone to hand you a manual. The sooner you adapt, the more likely you are to thrive.

Segment Timestamps

• AI Monologue: 00:52–25:35
• Jeremy Jones Interview: 26:35–46:15
• Panel Discussion (Cunningham & Winters): 48:17–71:47

Further Resources

• Matt Shumer’s Essay on Thriving with AI: (Referred to by Halperin; link in show notes)
• Redder AI: rhetorAI.com
• Follow Jeremy Jones:
  • X/Twitter: @jeremyjust_
  • Instagram: @jeremyredder

This summary captures the heart, nuance, and practical insights from this thought-provoking episode, designed to guide anyone keen on understanding and harnessing the AI revolution in both personal and public life.