Chairwoman Hassan, Ranking Member Romney and honorable Senators of the Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to discuss the increasingly vital topic of how emerging advanced technologies are affecting our national security. Many of the ideas I will discuss are motivated by the data-driven, tech-policy analysis from Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology. Others come from my own experience working within government departments and agencies, a couple years living and working in Silicon Valley, and academic experiences.
Key Questions About Emerging Technology Threats
Elected officials and public servants are continuously bombarded with warnings about looming threats or game-changing technologies, all demanding urgent action and investment. Many of these warnings and promises are based on something real, but how do we decide which are most relevant and deserve the most attention and resources? There are three important questions that I think all policymakers should ask when considering various emerging technologies, proposals to address their threats, and recommendations for capitalizing on their potential. These questions can help prioritize our attention and national resources toward the most urgent and transformational efforts and include the following:
- What technologies are most timely (i.e., exist now or will exist soon) and have the most significant impact on our national security, economic competitiveness, and societal well-being?
- Do we have the plans, authorities, and tools necessary to mitigate the threat or capitalize on the opportunity? If not, what can we easily update?
- Are our plans, authorities, and tools easily adaptable if and when the landscape changes? Do we have the information necessary to know when that adaptation needs to happen?