Joshua Keating Named Outrider AI & Nuclear Weapons Fellow at Vox

Vox editor-in-chief & publisher Swati Sharma announced that senior correspondent Joshua Keating has been named a 2025 Outrider Fellow, joining a distinguished cohort of journalists supported by the Outrider Foundation.

The fellowship, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners, includes a grant to fund Keating’s continued reporting on the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) and nuclear weapons.

As part of the fellowship, Keating will report a series of stories on the intersection of nuclear weapons and AI over the next year, and will work with Vox’s Today, Explained podcast team to produce an episode connected to one of his stories. Future story topics will explore whether the automated battlefield could go nuclear, how AI could be used to fight a nuclear war, and what happens when we introduce AI to the world’s most powerful computer for nuclear weapons.

Keating will also cover news on the nuclear beat as it arises. His work will seek to illuminate the potential risks posed by emerging technologies, how world powers are responding, and what this means for the future of global stability.

“Eighty years ago, the invention of nuclear weapons transformed armed conflict and international relations in ways that were little anticipated at the time. AI could have a similarly profound impact today,” Keating said. “I’m very excited to spend the year exploring the connections between these two transformational technologies, telling unexpected and surprising stories, and separating the genuine threats from the hype.”

Keating is a senior correspondent at Vox covering foreign policy and world news with a focus on the future of international conflict. He has previously worked as a writer and editor at Slate, Foreign Policy, Grid, and The Messenger.

He is the author of the 2018 book, Invisible Countries: Journeys to the Edge of Nationhood, an exploration of border conflicts, unrecognized countries, and changes to the world map. His work has appeared in publications including the Washington Post, the New York Times, The Atlantic, The Guardian, and Politico. He has reported from Russia, China, Iraq, Somalia, and Haiti, among other countries.

“The intersection of artificial intelligence technology and nuclear security is a beat that is ripe for investigative journalism,” said Robert K. Elder, President and CEO at Outrider Foundation. “Keating‘s work has been an essential, thoughtful source for exploring technologies and their impact on humanity.”

The Outrider Foundation, based in Madison, Wisconsin, is committed to engaging the public on global security and climate issues through rigorous journalism and compelling storytelling. The Outrider Fellowship supports leading journalists who are investigating critical intersections between technology, policy, and global safety.

Keating’s work as an Outrider Fellow will appear throughout 2025 and 2026 across Vox’s website and other platforms.