06-reference

stratechery tech scale government paramount netflix

Mon Mar 02 2026 19:00:00 GMT-0500 (Eastern Standard Time) ·reference ·source: Stratechery ·by Ben Thompson
anthropicgovernment-controlai-policyparamountnetflixwarner-brosmedia-consolidation

Technological Scale and Government Control, Paramount/Netflix/Warner Bros.

Thompson follows up on the Anthropic alignment article, clarifying his intent was analytical not endorsive. Key historical point: unlike nuclear weapons (government-funded from day one), AI was developed by private companies for civilian markets. The government is just another customer — but one that will still demand control of sufficiently powerful technology, using coercive means if commercial leverage is insufficient.

Historical precedent: Bob Noyce’s Fairchild/Intel deliberately moved away from military contracts because the civilian market was larger and more innovative. The military’s biggest modernization program (1980s) was built on leveraging commercially-developed civilian tech. AI has this dynamic “on steroids.”

Second topic: Paramount outbids Netflix for Warner Bros. at $31/share. Netflix walks away (“nice to have, not must have”). Thompson notes the deal is horizontal consolidation (should face more antitrust scrutiny than Netflix’s vertical play) but probably should proceed since the industry is in secular decline. Netflix stock jumped on losing the bid.

RDCO Mapping

The government/tech power dynamic analysis continues the Anthropic thread. Worth cross-referencing with moat thesis work.