Last week, at the AI Action Summit in Paris, Vice President J.D. Vance reaffirmed the Trump administration’s commitment to ensuring that advanced AI systems are developed domestically using made-in-America chips—remarks that boosted Intel’s stock by six percent. Vance also warned against excessive AI regulation, urging international partners, particularly in Europe, to prioritize innovation. Vance’s stance aligns with a rising “techno-nationalist” movement, associated with right-leaning tech figures like Peter Thiel and Elon Musk, that emphasizes innovation, defense, and global competitiveness.
Meanwhile, Anduril, an AI-driven military startup with a techno-nationalist edge, is nearing a deal that would value the company at $28 billion. This underscores AI’s growing role in national defense—and a shifting geographic locus of technological power in the U.S. Notably, both Anduril and Intel share a connection with Vance: Ohio.
Though Anduril’s roots are in California, its ambitions—and investments—are expanding. Nowhere is this more evident than in Ohio’s capital, Columbus, where Anduril plans to build a $1 billion factory, Arsenal-1. This move cements central Ohio as a hub for the kind of manufacturing that defines techno-nationalism, a movement that champions industrial grit as much as technological progress—and which might reverse America’s drift into cultural decadence.
Columbus lacks mountains, beaches, Hollywood glamor, and New York City lights. Yet last year, it topped Realtor.com’s list of hottest housing markets. Attracting talent from across Ohio as well as major urban hubs like San Francisco and New York, the city has experienced growing pains but is quietly redefining what it means to rise—particularly in artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing.
Anduril’s decision to anchor a major facility in Columbus signals more than just economic development—it represents a broader shift in where the future is being built. Arsenal-1 will produce tens of thousands of autonomous systems and weapons annually, supporting Anduril’s mission to meet the demands of a modern military. The company also promised to create over 4,000 jobs in Ohio—and soon.
Speaking with Bloomberg, Anduril founder Palmer Luckey praised Ohio: "It was a state that told us, 'We have the workforce; we have a million people who are capable of working in this facility within a 45-minute drive. We’re willing to work with you on higher education to help train people so that they come in and they can work with you.'" He contrasted Ohio with his home state: "Speaking candidly as someone who is from California, there are some states that are really good at pushing you out and slowing you down, and there are others that are great at pulling you in and speeding you up."
Anduril’s announcement follows Ohio’s landmark 2022 deal with Intel to build a $20 billion semiconductor manufacturing facility outside Columbus—the largest private-sector investment in the state’s history. Intel’s “Ohio One” project includes two fabs producing advanced chips for electronics, AI, and defense. It’s expected to create 3,000 Intel jobs, 7,000 construction jobs, and tens of thousands of indirect jobs, positioning Columbus as a rising player in the semiconductor industry.
Read the rest of this piece at The American Conservative.
Nora Kenney is director of media relations at the Manhattan Institute. Tim Rosenberger is a lawyer in New York.
Photo: M, via Wikimedia under CC 4.0 License.
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