Washington, D.C. (April 30, 2026) — This morning, Andrew Lohn, Senior Fellow at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET), testified before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. The hearing, “Taking a Bigger Byte: China’s Expanding Strategy for Data Dominance,” examined the drivers and methods behind China’s data acquisition strategy at large, including the role of cyber operations.
Lohn, who leads a team of researchers focused on the intersection of AI with cybersecurity, provided historical context on China’s pursuit of U.S. data with examples including China’s Titan Rain attacks and the Operation Aurora cyberattacks. He then highlighted China’s motives for AI acquisition, how China’s AI goals differ from those of the U.S., and how China has begun to obtain U.S. AI.
“China’s incentives to steal American AI technologies are mixed,” said Lohn. “Despite banning the models and restricting chip purchases, they are certainly taking active steps to acquire the technology. That includes activities to acquire expertise, hardware, and models.”
Leveraging expertise from his research on Anticipating AI’s Impact on the Cyber Offense-Defense Balance and Defending Against Intelligent Attackers at Large Scales, Lohn also discussed the role of AI in emerging U.S.-China cybersecurity challenges. He covered the ways that AI is both enhancing cyberattacks—with China’s systems increasingly able to find and exploit vulnerabilities—and opening new defensive possibilities for the U.S.
“It is not clear yet who benefits between attackers and defenders,” Lohn explained. “The real-world evidence so far shows offense mostly experimenting, while defenders are starting to be overwhelmed from too much help that could potentially be turned against them.”
Lohn closed his testimony with a series of recommendations for U.S. policymakers, including strengthening cybersecurity through technical measures, establishing federal cyber standards, creating policies that attract and retain talent, and addressing threats like distillation and illicit hardware flows. His final takeaway for Congress was that any public support for AI development must be contingent on strong safeguards to prevent future theft.
“If America is to reallocate energy and water infrastructure, to finance or backstop corporations and datacenter buildouts, and to provide regulatory relief…the benefits should not accrue to China. Congress, and the American taxpayer, should demand assurances that AI developers can protect the technology as a precondition to receiving our support.”
Prior to his work as a Senior Fellow, Lohn served as the Director for Emerging Technology on the National Security Council Staff, Executive Office of the President, under an Interdepartmental Personnel Act agreement with CSET. He holds a PhD in electrical engineering from UC Santa Cruz and a Bachelors in Engineering from McMaster University.
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.