Groong Links:
Guest(s):
Topics:
- Global AI race and hype
- Economics of AI data centers
- Energy limits and infrastructure demands
- Armenia’s Firebird AI project
- Jobs, innovation, and local benefits
- AI sovereignty and export controls
- Military value and security risks
Episode 577 | Recorded: August 11, 2026
#ArtificialIntelligence #Armenia #FirebirdAI #AIDataCenters #SovereignAI #EnergySecurity #TechGeopolitics #NationalSecurity
Show Notes
Summary
In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Richard Campbell about artificial intelligence infrastructure and Armenia’s Firebird project. We discuss the global AI race, the economics and energy demands of data centers, whether current AI valuations align with physical and economic realities, and what sovereign AI capacity means for Armenia’s strategic positioning.Wrap-up
Links and Resources
That’s our show , we hope you found it helpful. We invite your feedback and your suggestions, you can find us on most social media and podcast platforms.
Thanks to Laura Osborn for the music on our podcasts.
Guests
Richard Campbell
Richard Campbell has been playing with computers since the 1970s. He has done almost every job you can think of in computing, including manufacturing, sales, software development, helping to scale websites during the DotComBoom, and teaching software development all over the world.
Along the way, he has been a part of several different technology companies: He was one of the founders of Strangeloop Networks, acquired by Radware in 2013, and a board member of Telerik, which Progress Software acquired in 2014. He makes the podcasts .NET Rocks, RunAs Radio, and a special series called the Geek Outs, where he explores science subjects, including space and the energy revolution. He has been a keynote speaker and guest lecturer at conferences worldwide, including a lecture on building bases on the Moon for NASA Ames in California.
Today Richard serves as the chairperson of Cloud Army, a consumer neuroscience company, as well as chair of the Humanitarian Toolbox, a charity focused on building open-source software for disaster relief and preparedness.
Hosts
Hovik Manucharyan
Hovik Manucharyan is an information security engineer who moved from Seattle to Armenia in 2022. He co-founded the ANN/Groong podcast in 2020 and has been a contributor to Groong News since the late 1990s.
Disclaimer: The views expressed by Hovik Manucharyan on the ANN/Groong podcast are his own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of his employer or any other organization.
Asbed Bedrossian
Asbed Bedrossian is an IT professional, and for years oversaw the central IT enterprise infrastructure and services at USC. His decades of experience spanned across IT strategy, enterprise architecture, infrastructure, cybersecurity, enterprise applications, data center operations, high performance computing, ITSM, ITPM, and more.
Asbed founded the Armenian News Network Groong circa 1989/1990, and co-founded the ANN/Groong podcast in 2020.
