Phoenix Cast

In this episode of Phoenix Cast, hosts John, Rich, and Kyle break down the recent “hack” of McKinsey’s internal AI platform Lilly — where a security startup’s automated agent gained full root access through unsecured API endpoints in under two hours — sparking a lively debate on what actually constitutes a hack and why zero trust architecture still matters more than ever. The crew covers exciting new GenAI.mil features including Agent Builder and API key access, Anthropic’s upgrade of Claude Code’s context window from 200K to a million tokens, and what context rot means for power users. Kyle then delivers a fired-up debrief from the USMC Generative AI Workshop at Quantico, where Marines from across the Corps showcased everything from AI-powered recruiting simulations to homegrown tools, and the hosts challenge listeners to start building MOS-specific prompt libraries to multiply impact across the force. If you want a masterclass in both the promise and the pitfalls of AI adoption in the military, this one’s packed from start to finish.We'd love to hear your thoughts! Tweet us @ThePhoenixCast, and don't forget to join our LinkedIn Group to connect with fellow Phoenix Casters. If you enjoyed the episode, help us out by leaving one of those coveted 5-star reviews on Apple Podcasts. Thanks for listening!Links:MCKINSEY HACKhttps://www.inc.com/leila-sheridan/an-ai-agent-broke-into-mckinseys-internal-chatbot-and-accessed-millions-of-records-in-just-2-hours/91314432WHAT IS AN API?http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/APIWHAT IS BOLA?https://owasp.org/www-project-web-security-testing-guide/latest/4-Web_Application_Security_Testing/12-API_Testing/02-API_Broken_Object_Level_AuthorizationOBLIGATORY XKCD: https://xkcd.com/327/

In this episode of Phoenix Cast, hosts John, Rich, and Kyle dive into a passionate debate about why the military needs to stop relying on a single "AI guy" in every unit and instead adopt an "every Marine an AI rifleman" mentality — training all service members in AI fundamentals the same way every Marine learns basic marksmanship. Kyle breaks down what AI "marksmanship" actually looks like (spoiler: it's way more approachable than you think, and it doesn't require a data science degree), while Rich draws on his experience driving an AI-enabled vehicle to illustrate what real human-machine teaming feels like in practice. The crew also unpacks a recent Claude Code "vulnerability" headline that turns out to be more about prompt injection basics than a true sky-is-falling flaw, and they geek out over Claude Code's new Remote Control feature that lets developers manage coding sessions from their phone while out grabbing groceries. Whether you're a senior leader wondering how to roll out AI training or a Lance Corporal curious about where to start, this one's packed with practical takes and a few great book recommendations to get you moving.We'd love to hear your thoughts! Tweet us @ThePhoenixCast, and don't forget to join our LinkedIn Group to connect with fellow Phoenix Casters. If you enjoyed the episode, help us out by leaving one of those coveted 5-star reviews on Apple Podcasts. Thanks for listening!Links:Claude Remote Code:https://thehackernews.com/2026/02/claude-code-flaws-allow-remote-code.htmlClaude Remote Control:https://code.claude.com/docs/en/remote-controlGenAI.mil:https://www.war.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/4376420/war-department-launches-ai-acceleration-strategy-to-secure-american-military-ai/

In this episode of Phoenix Cast, hosts John, Rich, and Kyle break down the rapidly evolving world of agentic artificial intelligence through the story of Clawd—also known as Molt and now OpenClaw. They explain what AI agents are, how tools like Claude Code and full-system agents are changing the way humans interact with machines, and why this shift is both powerful and potentially risky. The hosts explore real-world implications ranging from productivity and security to misinformation, open-source automation, and the viral “AI-only social network” phenomenon. They also reflect on the broader impact of human-machine teaming, discussing how leadership, communication, and creativity will shape the future of technology, cybersecurity, and modern warfighting.We'd love to hear your thoughts! Tweet us @ThePhoenixCast, and don't forget to join our LinkedIn Group to connect with fellow Phoenix Casters. If you enjoyed the episode, help us out by leaving one of those coveted 5-star reviews on Apple Podcasts. Thanks for listening!Links:Clawdbot:  https://www.computerworld.com/article/4125939/by-whatever-name-moltbolt-clawd-openclaw-this-uber-ai-assistant-is-a-security-nightmare.htmlAnthropic Economic Indexhttps://www.anthropic.com/economic-indexPeter Steinberger Websitehttps://steipete.me/Moltbookhttps://www.moltbook.com/

In this episode of Phoenix Cast, hosts John and Rich are joined by special guest Vice Admiral (ret) Craig Clapperton - the former Commander of Navy’s Fleet Cyber Command. They discuss how technical mastery, leadership development, and career progression differ across ranks, and why early-career officers and operators must prioritize deep warfighting competence before broadening into team leadership and enterprise impact. They also explore how to brief and influence senior leaders effectively, integrate kinetic and non-kinetic capabilities, and build trust through competency, character, and integrity in high-stakes cyber and joint operations.We'd love to hear your thoughts! Tweet us at our new handle, @ThePhoenixCast, and don't forget to join our LinkedIn Group to connect with fellow Phoenix Casters. If you enjoyed the episode, help us out by leaving one of those coveted 5-star reviews on Apple Podcasts. Thanks for listening!

In this episode of the Phoenix Cast, hosts John and Kyle kick off 2026 with a jam-packed current events roundup covering the React to Shell vulnerability (think Log4Shell but for the front end), the Marine Corps' new drone training requirements, Google's TPU announcements that might have NVIDIA sweating, and the launch of GenAI.mil. They also share some exciting podcast milestones, dish out their 2026 predictions, and Kyle reveals his holiday vendetta against PowerPoint that resulted in building his own AI-powered presentation tool.We'd love to hear your thoughts! Tweet us at our new handle, @ThePhoenixCast, and don't forget to join our LinkedIn Group to connect with fellow Phoenix Casters. If you enjoyed the episode, help us out by leaving one of those coveted 5-star reviews on Apple Podcasts. Thanks for listening!LinksKyle’s “The 8 Levels of AI Learning for Modern Commanders”https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/8-levels-ai-learning-modern-commanders-kyle-kmo-moschetto-mxuycReactShell:https://securityboulevard.com/2026/01/top-cves-of-december-2025/TorchTPU:https://hyperframeresearch.com/2025/12/24/can-googles-torchtpu-eventually-bridge-nvidias-cuda-moat/ WSJ: “Why AI Will Widen the Gap Between Superstars and Everybody Else”https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/workplace/ai-workplace-tensions-what-to-do-c45f6b51?reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink USMC drone program:  https://www.marines.mil/News/Messages/Messages-Display/Article/4366306/approved-training-requirements-for-small-unmanned-aerial-systems/USMC AI WORKSHOP MARADMINhttps://www.marines.mil/News/Messages/Messages-Display/Article/4367572/united-states-marines-corps-generative-and-agentic-artificial-intelligence-work/II MEF Leadership AI:https://www.iimef.marines.mil/News/article-display/Article/4364616/ii-mef-advanced-ai-command-course/ Self-Paced AI Training (Military discount available)https://ftcg.io/self-paced-training Vibe Coding book (Gene Kim and Steve Yegge):https://itrevolution.com/product/vibe-coding-book/Gas Town:https://steve-yegge.medium.com/welcome-to-gas-town-4f25ee16dd04

In this episode of Phoenix Cast, hosts John and Kyle are joined by special guest LtGen Jerry Carter, the Marine Corps Deputy Commandant for Information. They discuss the evolution of the DCI role, the cultural and organizational challenges of building a cohesive information warfare community, the urgency of adapting faster in cyberspace and AI, and why winning future conflicts requires rethinking how the Marine Corps fights, learns, and innovates in a persistent state of competition.We'd love to hear your thoughts! Tweet us at our new handle, @ThePhoenixCast, and don't forget to join our LinkedIn Group to connect with fellow Phoenix Casters. If you enjoyed the episode, help us out by leaving one of those coveted 5-star reviews on Apple Podcasts. Thanks for listening!Links:Books mentioned:-The Kill Chain - https://a.co/d/iWefKB4-Next War: Reimaginging How We Fight - https://a.co/d/8l0dDqz-Unit X: How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley Are Transforming the Future of War - https://a.co/d/faqu9uZ

In this episode of Phoenix Cast, hosts John, Rich, and Kyle are joined by special guest MajGen (ret) Ryan Heritage - the former J3 (Director of Operations) for US Cyber Command, and Commander of Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command. We'd love to hear your thoughts! Tweet us at our new handle, @ThePhoenixCast, and don't forget to join our LinkedIn Group to connect with fellow Phoenix Casters. If you enjoyed the episode, help us out by leaving one of those coveted 5-star reviews on Apple Podcasts. Thanks for listening!

In this episode of Phoenix Cast, hosts John, Rich, and Kyle are joined by special guest Capt Chris Clark - the Marine Corps Artificial Intelligence Lead in the Marine Corps Deputy CLinks:-(USMC Fellowships) https://www.marines.mil/News/Messages/Messages-Display/Article/4315247/fy26-artificial-intelligence-fellowship-programs/-https://www.marines.mil/News/Messages/Messages-Display/Article/4325857/update-to-maradmin-46025-fy26-artificial-intelligence-fellowship-programs/ -(Private Sector Solutions) https://www.anduril.com/article/anduril-s-eagleeye-puts-mommandant for Information Service Data Office to discuss Marine Corps AI.  Have a listen, and let us know what you think!We'd love to hear your thoughts! Tweet us at our new handle, @ThePhoenixCast, and don't forget to join our LinkedIn Group to connect with fellow Phoenix Casters. If you enjoyed the episode, help us out by leaving one of those coveted 5-star reviews on Apple Podcasts. Thanks for listening!ission-command-and-ai-directly-into-the-warfighter-s-helmet/ -(Inference at the Edge) https://research.ibm.com/blog/northpole-ibm-ai-chip Kurzgesagt video on AI Slop AI Slop Is Destroying The Internet 

In this episode of the Phoenix Cast, hosts John, Rich, and Kyle are joined by special guests Cols Russ Belt and Kevin Stepp, the II MEF and I MEF G-6s.  They continue the discussion started by Col Matt Schroer on Episode 122, and LtCols Berdela and Henderson on Episode 123 about the future of communications formations. We'd love to hear your thoughts! Tweet us at our new handle, @ThePhoenixCast, and don't forget to join our LinkedIn Group to connect with fellow Phoenix Casters. If you enjoyed the episode, help us out by leaving one of those coveted 5-star reviews on Apple Podcasts. Thanks for listening!

In this episode of the Phoenix Cast, hosts John and Kyle are joined by special guests Josh Stiefel and LTG (ret) Edward Cardon, the architects of CSIS’ Cyber Force project. We'd love to hear your thoughts! Tweet us at our new handle, @ThePhoenixCast, and don't forget to join our LinkedIn Group to connect with fellow Phoenix Casters. If you enjoyed the episode, help us out by leaving one of those coveted 5-star reviews on Apple Podcasts. Thanks for listening!Links:CSIS announcement:  https://youtu.be/f-u_P9yp6AI?si=ykRebsVoEtFC3BkPCSIS 16 Sept panel:  https://www.csis.org/events/launch-commission-us-cyber-force-generationMcCrary Institute: Cyber Force, ROI, and the Case for Reform with Ed Cardon & Josh Stiefel