Policy Currents | The newsletter for policy people
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** Jan. 29, 2026
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How Could AI Shape the Future of War?
A new RAND report explores how AI could transform warfare by disrupting four "building block" competitions in military affairs:
- quantity versus quality
- hiding versus finding
- centralized versus decentralized command and control
- cyber offense versus cyber defense.
The analysis suggests that the U.S. military should harness AI in ways that leverage mass, deception, mission command, and cyber resilience. For instance, investing in new AI tools can create persistent uncertainty and confusion for enemy sensing systems. Washington also needs a clear plan to transition to an AI-enabled force, one that trains human personnel and AI tools together to reinforce strengths and offset weaknesses.
Exploiting AI's potential will be as much an organizational challenge as a technological one, the authors conclude, because it may require "disruptive changes" to how the U.S. military traditionally operates.
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New Resources on Gun Policy
The RAND Gun Policy in America initiative aims to establish a shared set of facts to support fair and effective gun policies. Over the last decade, it has grown into one of the most widely used and cited sources of evidence on the topic. A new update released today includes the latest evidence on the effects of various gun laws, a new interactive tool on firearm mortality and state characteristics, an updated essay on mass shootings, and more.
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Harnessing New Tech to Combat Wildfire
The threat of wildfire used to be confined to the dry season in the American West. But fires are now a year-round, coast-to-coast problem. In fact, more than a third of Americans--and a third of all U.S. buildings--are in counties with high risk. A new RAND video brings together policy experts, firefighters, and innovators to explore how new technology can transform the way we detect, fight, and prevent wildfires.
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** RAND Recommends
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- "This almost feels like an emperor-has-no-clothes moment" for the People's Liberation Army. That's how RAND's Shanshan Mei described China's military purge on PRX's The World.
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- A new RAND study shows that every $1 spent by U.S. Poison Centers on services generates nearly $17 in benefits to society.
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- Applications are open for the inaugural RAND/DARPA Geoeconomics Summer Study in Washington, D.C. The program is open to undergraduate, master's, and doctoral students.
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** Policy Minded, RAND's Flagship Podcast
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On Policy Minded, we pick the brains of the world's top policy experts. In each episode, RAND researchers join us for conversations that go beyond the headlines--bringing you insights you can't find anywhere else.
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