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Michael Kanaan
Author of "T-Minus AI" | DoD Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office | Advisory Board Member of the AI Education Project
Michael Kanaan is a prominent figure in the field of artificial intelligence within the U.S. military. He currently serves as the Military Deputy, Department of Defense Cyber Assurance and Authorizing Official at the DoD Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office, a position he has held since August 2023.1 Kanaan is also an author, having written the book "T-Minus AI: Humanity's Countdown to Artificial Intelligence and the New Pursuit of Global Power," which received several awards.1
Career Highlights
- Former co-chair of artificial intelligence for the U.S. Air Force2
- Director of Operations for the Air Force / MIT Artificial Intelligence Accelerator (2020-2022)1
- Led the National Intelligence Campaign for Operation Inherent Resolve in Syria and Iraq2
- Named to Forbes "30 Under 30" list2
- Recipient of the U.S. Government's 68th Arthur S. Flemming Award2
Education and Military Service
Kanaan graduated from the United States Air Force Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Management.1 He later earned a Master in Public Administration from Harvard University.1 His military career includes various roles in intelligence and AI integration within the U.S. Air Force.1
Expertise and Advocacy
Kanaan is known for his advocacy of practical AI applications in the military, particularly for streamlining organizational tasks and back-office functions.3 He emphasizes the importance of AI in enhancing military missions, safeguarding lives, and delivering clearer information.4 Kanaan also stresses the need for AI development to align with democratic values and ideals.4
Highlights
THE OTHER SIDE | The attached post is making the LinkedIn rounds, and for good reason; however, in my view, it's missing the right focus. Here’s the gist: Author of the post sits at a bar, another patron asks what she does, she answers retired from the Marine Corps (P.S. a Marine is always a Marine). The patron then says, "I wouldn't let my son serve—it's not for us," but adds that she’s happy others are willing to do so. The Marine is mortified—how could someone hold such a horrifically contradictory point of view?!
Voilà, cue the clickbait echo chamber and outrage.
Okay, let's real talk.
This story should be painted in an entirely different light. What it actually illustrates is a profound, beautiful, and uniquely American paradox... The freedom to say, "It's not for us," while still appreciating that others are willing to serve.
Imagine that—a country where you can make that choice without getting dragged through the mud. In many parts of the world, that ain't necessarily the case.
Here, where individual choice is a cornerstone, it should be entirely reasonable to hold that view without reproach. This diversity of opinion is, in its own way, a testament to our ideals. You know, the thing which allows someone to say, "Thanks, but no thanks."
That said, I get the frustration.
But seriously, doesn’t it just entrench the divide we wish to bridge by suggesting that someone is wholesale wrong or morally deficient for feeling that military service isn't for them (or a family member in this case)?
The patron at the bar isn’t wrong for her belief—she’s exercising the very freedom that we in the military defend.
Her choice, just like the choice to serve.
Let me take it a step further. As much as it grates to hear someone say something like, "I hate this country" (which is obviously more extreme and different), I always think—well, that’s actually what makes this country so great—the fact that they can say it, and not get thrown in jail.
Now, to a valuable point in the post: the challenge is finding a way to communicate the experiences and values of service in a way that resonates and fosters better understanding.
Could one not seek to understand more? Maybe try asking a follow-up question next time, digging into the real reason behind the sentiment.
Newsflash: public service comes in MANY forms, too. Perhaps they’re a family of firefighters, police officers, nonprofit workers, community organizers, waste management professionals, teachers, librarians, public health officials, or any number of other noble professions.
In the end, virtue signaling via some social media post isn’t the answer. The solution, like most things in life, lies somewhere in the middle. Rather than shaming someone, try to understand—don't demand uniformity of uniformed thought—for that's where bridges are built and what makes this country worth defending in the first place.
#military #leadership #socialmedia
INNOVATIVE AF | Ideas are a dime a dozen... Crafting a narrative is difficult... Organizing a team is harder yet... Executing on a vision is even more infrequent... Developing a prototype is challenging... Securing resources is a formidable undertaking... Delivering a solution—at any appreciable scale—a rare feat of courage, determination, and grit... Gaining market adoption is always a hurdle... Ensuring sustainability is the ultimate test...
All told, innovation is hard.
But then there are moments where we get glimpses of success. It's in these moments that it's incumbent on the workforce, contemporary peers, and senior leaders alike to amplify the story—not just the monolithic achievement, but the stories of the people themselves.
Say it with me: the proverbial stories of historical lore are getting tired. It's time for a refresh.
Make no mistake, NIPRGPT is awesome. Even more awesome-r? The people behind it. Who are they? Collen Roller, Nick Brooks, Alexis B., and a whole host of others who you should ask about—including all the volunteers at hackathons and behind-the-scenes supporters. They each have personal stories full of insight, inspiration, and wisdom that will enable others to go faster and do even better.
To that point, if there's only one axiom found in public service, it's that FOMO is real. I can just hear senior leaders in other services and agencies now, "Hey! Where's our NIPRGPT?!" This FOMO and observational precedent can be a POWERFUL tool. Witness a young person successfully empowered and in charge of something? They'll respond, "Where's my Gen Z or Millennial?!" Take liberty with a policy? They'll proclaim, "We should do that too!" The list goes on and on, which can lead to some perverse outcomes or behaviors—insert budget/technological redundancies and the oftentimes dangerous currency dealing of political capital show theater here—but when harnessed and wielded, it's, for the most part, a good thing. Like healthy sibling rivalry.
And what does that lead to? More innovation, more trailblazing, more mindsets like "Yes, if..." and professional improv like "Yes, and..." Isn't that all we really want? Sure, NIPRGPT is great; there are also a lot of iterative fixes ahead, too. Don't dwell on the thing. Focus on the real takeaway: the stories of others that compel and inspire. Humans are storytellers. Tell more contemporary stories. It's a marker of progress that leads to growth and learning.
Because, truly, the best form of learning is found by doing.
#technology #leadership #artficialintelligence #future #innovation
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Mesh works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Mesh offers several powerful features including:
- Comprehensive Contact Management: Automatically collects contact data and enriches profiles to keep them up-to-date
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Mesh is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
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Mesh takes privacy seriously. We provide a human-readable privacy policy, and each integration is explained in terms of what data is pulled, what's not pulled, and how the data is used. Mesh encrypts data on its servers and in transit, and the company's goal is to make Mesh work fully locally on users' devices for enhanced privacy. Mesh is also SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
Mesh is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Mesh is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Mesh offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Mesh offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Mesh for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Mesh accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Mesh offers extensive integration capabilities. Mesh introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Mesh supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Mesh also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
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Mesh makes it much easier to stay in touch with the people you care about. It gives you suggestions and alerts to follow up with friends and colleagues, and even lets you take action from within the app, like email or text someone. Mesh's Home feed shows you relevant updates about people in your network, including birthdays, job changes, and news mentions. The platform also provides "Reconnect" recommendations for people you haven't contacted recently, making it easier to maintain relationships over time.
Mesh is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Mesh stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Mesh excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Mesh is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Mesh offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Mesh's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Mesh has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Mesh is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Mesh beneficial.
Mesh offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Mesh offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Mesh's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Mesh offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Mesh focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Mesh also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Mesh offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Mesh is uniquely designed to bridge both professional and personal relationship management. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh helps you organize your contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. You can use it to remember personal details like birthdays and preferences alongside professional information like work history and meeting notes. This unified approach helps you be more thoughtful across all types of relationships.
Mesh's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Mesh has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Mesh a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Mesh's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Mesh's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Mesh has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
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