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No Priors Ep. 129 | With U.S. Under Secretary of State (E) Designate Jacob Helberg

AI doomers say that the technology will be the ultimate job-killer. But Jacob Helberg wants people to see AI as a tech that will boost, not replace, human workers and give them superpowers. Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jacob Helberg joins Sarah Guo and Elad Gil to talk about AI’s role in reshoring manufacturing in America, supply chain security, and transforming the US energy grid. He also discusses the CapEx revolution, why he sees opportunity for tech and energy partnerships in the Middle East, and the path to more nuclear energy for the US. Plus, the three explore what the “superintelligence century” could look like. Sign up for new podcasts every week. Email feedback to show@no-priors.com Follow us on Twitter: @NoPriorsPod | @Saranormous | @EladGil | @jacobhelberg Chapters: 00:00 – Jacob Helberg Introduction 00:50 – Jacob’s Agenda for Capitol Hill 01:53 – Reshoring the American Supply Chain 04:38 – Areas of CapEx Growth 06:56 – Importance of Supply Chain Security 08:52 – Reshoring Rare Earth Minerals 11:12 – How AI Can Help America Reindustrialize 15:37 – AI and Productivity Gains 17:38 – The Superintelligence Century 22:56 – Creating an Open Source AI Ecosystem 24:41 – The Middle East and AI 26:24 – Growing Energy Resources in the US 28:28 – The Path to More Nuclear Energy in the US 35:50 – Essential Domains for Strategy and Security 38:20 – The Tech Industry and the Administration 40:29 – Conclusion

Sarah GuohostJacob HelbergguestElad Gilhost
Aug 28, 202540mWatch on YouTube ↗

At a glance

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Superintelligence, Supply Chains, and Nuclear: Rebuilding American Economic Power

  1. Jacob Helberg, U.S. Under Secretary of State (E) designate, outlines a vision of America shifting from a consumption-heavy, services-led economy toward a high-investment, reindustrializing nation powered by AI and abundant energy.
  2. He argues that securing supply chains—especially critical minerals, semiconductors, and component manufacturing—and reducing dependence on China is now core to U.S. national security and economic strategy.
  3. Helberg sees AI as a major productivity engine that can erase low-cost labor advantages, trigger a “second Great Divergence,” and enable advanced economies to re-shore manufacturing at scale.
  4. A central pillar of his agenda is rapidly expanding energy supply, particularly through nuclear, and leveraging capital and energy partnerships with the Middle East to support data centers, manufacturing, and long-term growth.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Securing critical supply chains is now a front-line national security priority.

With 90% of critical mineral refining in China and heavy dependence on Taiwanese semiconductors, Helberg argues the U.S. must diversify partners and re-shore key production to avoid strategic vulnerabilities and coercion.

AI-driven productivity can overturn the ‘service-economy destiny’ narrative.

He contends that agentic AI will give workers “superpowers,” making high-wage economies competitive again in manufacturing by eroding low-cost labor advantages in developing countries.

Targeted industrial policy and offtake agreements can rebuild key industries.

The DoD–MP Materials rare earth magnet deal (anchor buyer plus price floor) is presented as a repeatable blueprint to counter Chinese price manipulation and make Western refining and component manufacturing viable again.

Nuclear power is essential to achieving energy abundance for the AI era.

Given flat U.S. electricity supply since 2008 and rapidly rising data center demand, he sees large-scale nuclear—supplemented by gas and other sources—as the only realistic way to double power capacity and keep energy cheap.

Reducing regulatory and permitting friction is as important as new capital.

Helberg stresses that compressing project timelines (e.g., from 12 years to closer to 5–7 for nuclear) dramatically improves project economics by cutting compounding financing and legal costs, unlocking more private capex.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

We have one of the best innovation ecosystems in the world, but that innovation ecosystem is sitting on top of a supply chain system that is very exposed.

— Jacob Helberg

AI will, far from replacing humans altogether, actually give workers superpowers and massively increase productivity.

— Jacob Helberg

The defining feature of this century is not the rise of China; it’s really the rise of super intelligence.

— Jacob Helberg

The one thing France got right in the last 45 years is that it gets 75% of its total energy supply from nuclear.

— Jacob Helberg

This is a pro‑builder administration… the policies have really amounted to shock therapy to help facilitate building in America as much as possible.

— Jacob Helberg

U.S. supply chain vulnerabilities and overreliance on China and TaiwanReindustrialization of the American economy enabled by AI and capex investmentAI, superintelligence, and the coming “second Great Divergence” in global growthRare earth minerals, industrial policy, and MP Materials–DoD offtake modelGlobal economic shifts: decline of Europe, rise of the Middle East, U.S.–China AI raceEnergy strategy, especially nuclear power, to meet data center and industrial demandPro‑builder policy stance: deregulation, permitting reform, and foreign investment

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