Washington, D.C. (April 22, 2026) — This morning, Helen Toner, Interim Executive Director at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET), testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary. The hearing, “Stealth Stealing: China’s Ongoing Theft of U.S. Innovation,” examined policy solutions to maintain U.S. technological leadership and strengthen U.S. intellectual property (IP) protections.
As competition with China continues to escalate, Toner’s testimony provided recommendations for bolstering security and countering threats while maintaining U.S. advantage. Citing recent “distillation attacks” carried out by Chinese AI firms on leading U.S. AI companies, Toner outlined what distillation is, why it matters in the context of U.S.-China AI competition and IP, and how policymakers can address the issue without sacrificing other security priorities.
“There is strong evidence that some Chinese AI companies are employing distillation techniques in order to use American AI models to advance their own research and development,” Toner said in her written testimony. “Efforts to counter distillation should focus on broader measures that are also helpful in countering other threats, such as sharing threat intelligence and assisting companies in monitoring for misuse of their models.”
Toner also emphasized the importance of balancing IP protection with transparency and effective governance of advanced AI systems. “Right now…the winner of any AI race between the U.S. and China is the AI. We need to be working to make sure that is not the case,” said Toner in an exchange with Senator Josh Hawley. “I think it is very important that the U.S. AI sector remains ahead of the Chinese AI sector, but if that’s at the expense of AI overrunning the entire planet, then that hasn’t benefitted us.”
Widely regarded as an expert on the intersection of AI and national security in both China and the United States, Toner brought deep knowledge of emerging technologies and public policy to her testimony. Last May, she testified before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet in a hearing on “Protecting Our Edge: Trade Secrets and the Global AI Arms Race.” She has also testified before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, advised numerous senior policymakers, and provided insights to leading media outlets.
Toner was named one of TIME’s 100 most influential people in AI in 2024. Prior to her directorial role, she served as CSET’s Director of Strategy and Foundational Research Grants, where she defined the Center’s long-term priorities and oversaw key strategic partnerships.
About CSET
Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology informs high-stakes decisions by providing decision-makers with rigorous analysis on the security implications of emerging technologies. Its research areas include geopolitical competition, workforce, cyberAI, biotechnology, AI governance, and military applications of AI and are supported by a team of data scientists in addition to analysts.