Wynton Hall, the social media director for a prominent news outlet and author of the new book Code Red: The Left, the Right, China, and the Race to Control AI, emphasized the critical nature of outpacing China in the artificial intelligence arena during an appearance on Maria Bartiromo’s show. Hall remarked, “We must surpass China without adopting its methods. No one desires to live in an AI-driven surveillance state, and it’s vital that we uphold our values.”
In a conversation with Maria Bartiromo on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures, Hall discussed the economic and military implications of falling behind China in AI technology. His book, CODE RED, set for release on Tuesday, delves into the challenges and stakes involved. Hall highlighted a key concern for Americans: the human capital involved in the military competition with China.
Hall elaborated on the concept of “recursive self-improvement” or RSI, explaining its potential to significantly boost capabilities in areas such as cybersecurity, code hacking, and the protection of infrastructure. “Achieving RSI first would grant substantial control over these crucial sectors,” he noted.
Echoing his earlier sentiment, Hall reiterated, “We must surpass China without becoming China.” He stressed the importance of preserving democratic values while avoiding the creation of a surveillance state.
Concluding his remarks, Hall underscored the urgency of the situation, stating, “This race is indeed real,” and expressed his relief that there is growing bipartisan awareness of the high stakes involved.
“We’ve got to beat China without becoming China,” the author stressed. “None of us want to live in an AI surveillance state, and we’ve got to make sure we preserve those values.”
Hall went on to assert, “This race is real,” adding, “I’m glad there’s a little bit more bipartisan understanding of the stakes.”
“What kind of guidance and guard rails do we need as we take on agents?” Bartiromo asked. “Are these agents — these robots that we’re going to be buying for the price of a car — going to come back and become Terminator on us?”
Hall replied, “That’s a real concern,” adding, “We have to make sure those guardrails are in place, because we do not want any unintended consequences.”
“Particularly, when you’re talking about agentic AI — because that is autonomous — we have to make sure that those systems have, number one, a kill switch in place for, not just human in the loop, but human override,” the – News managing editor elaborated.
Hall called this “essential,” adding that when it comes to “autonomous warfare and weapons,” it is also crucial that “we’re able to make sure the commanders on the ground, whether they go full auto on these weapons, that they can turn them off and make sure that our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines are safe.”
“But we’re in a new world, and that’s why it’s moving fast,” Hall said. “I think we’ve all got to coach ourselves up on this 5D chess game that we’re entering in the AI race.”
After being asked to respond to Elon Musk’s prediction that there will be more robots than humans by 2040, Hall said, “Elon’s exactly right. The humanoid robot expansion is coming fast and furious.”
“Some analysts believe that it’ll happen a little bit less quickly than we might imagine because of something called ‘Moravec’s paradox,’ this idea that the things that are easy for humans are harder for machines,” Hall continued.
The conversation also touched on the Pentagon’s recent fight with Anthropic over control of AI used by the Pentagon. “As it relates to Anthropic, one of the biggest things that I think we’re missing there is the political backstory,” the author added. “President Trump, Secretary Hegseth, they’re exactly right that they need to be the ones making all lawful uses and purpose of the AI technology.
“Anthropic, it’s CEO, there’s a lot of money flow. There’s a lot of political connections that a lot of people don’t know about,” Hall said, adding that this topic is covered in great detail in his book, CODE RED.
Bartiromo’s interview with Hall touched on many areas, as AI continues to touch practically every area of daily life. In CODE RED, Hall explores aspects of AI that will impact the nation, the economy, and your own family:
In Code Red, – social media director Wynton Hall exposes where that power hides, how it operates, how conservatives can navigate the AI political battlescape, avert its landmines, and turn peril into promise. AI decides what you see and what gets censored. It’s quietly rewiring our whole way of life. Jobs. Schools. Family. Church. Even national security. All of it will shock-test our civic order.
Inside Code Red, you will discover:
- Why AI is wired for woke indoctrination—and how to resist it.
- How elites plan to weaponize AI job losses to push dependency.
- How America can beat China without becoming China.
- How to prepare your kids for the blinding speed of AI disruption.
- The new national security threats AI unleashes—and how we defend against them.
- Why “AI girlfriends” are luring millions—and what it will take to preserve authentic human connection.
- How AI will test faith and meaning—and why spiritual renewal may be its most surprising outcome.
Urgent, deeply researched, and written with page-turner elegance, Code Red is the conservative battle plan for the AI era. Either we wake up and fight back, or we lose everything that made America free.
Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), who was named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in AI, praised Code Red as a “must-read.” She added: “Few understand our conservative fight against Big Tech as Hall does,” making him “uniquely qualified to examine how we can best utilize AI’s enormous potential, while ensuring it does not exploit kids, creators, and conservatives.” Award-winning investigative journalist and Public founder Michael Shellenberger calls Code Red “illuminating,” ”alarming,” and describes the book as “an essential conversation-starter for those hoping to subvert Big Tech’s autocratic plans before it’s too late.”
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for – News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
