Publications

CSET produces evidence-driven analysis in a variety of forms, from informative graphics and translations to expert testimony and published reports. Our key areas of inquiry are the foundations of artificial intelligence — such as talent, data and computational power — as well as how AI can be used in cybersecurity and other national security settings. We also do research on the policy tools that can be used to shape AI’s development and use, and on biotechnology.

Report

CSET’s 2024 Annual Report

Center for Security and Emerging Technology
| March 2025

In 2024, CSET continued to deliver impactful, data-driven analysis at the intersection of emerging technology and security policy. Explore our annual report to discover key research highlights, expert testimony, and new analytical tools — all aimed at shaping informed, strategic decisions around AI and emerging tech.

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See CSET's translation of a document detailing the number and affiliation of CAS-sponsored candidates for China’s “Youth Thousand Talents Program” as of 2011. Under the program, prospective employers such as CAS are responsible for identifying overseas talent they wish to recruit, and must submit applications on behalf of their candidates.

Reports

Immigration Policy and the Global Competition for AI Talent

Tina Huang and Zachary Arnold
| June 2020

Current immigration policies may undermine the historic strength of the United States in attracting and retaining international AI talent. This report examines the immigration policies of four U.S. economic competitor nations—the United Kingdom, Canada, France, and Australia—to offer best practices for ensuring future AI competitiveness.

Data Brief

Career Preferences of AI Talent

Catherine Aiken, James Dunham, and Remco Zwetsloot
| June 2020

The United States faces increased international competition for top talent in artificial intelligence, a critical component of the American AI advantage. CSET surveyed recent AI PhDs from U.S. universities, offering insights into the academic and career preferences of the AI workforce.

Reports

Shaping the Terrain of AI Competition

Tim Hwang
| June 2020

How should democracies effectively compete against authoritarian regimes in the AI space? This report offers a “terrain strategy” for the United States to leverage the malleability of artificial intelligence to offset authoritarians' structural advantages in engineering and deploying AI.

See our translation of a government-issued white paper describing China’s approach to standards setting for AI. Appendices list all of China’s existing AI standards as of January 2018, as well as those under study, and provide examples of AI applications by leading Chinese tech companies.

See our translation of an agreement between Chinese students who study abroad and the PRC Ministry of Education’s China Scholarship Council. It requires students on CSC scholarships to report regularly on the progress of their studies and mandates that those who study abroad return to China for at least two years.

Data Brief

AI Hubs in the United States

Justin Olander and Melissa Flagg
| May 2020

With the increasing importance of artificial intelligence and the competition for AI talent, it is essential to understand the U.S. domestic industrial AI landscape. This data brief maps where AI talent is produced, where it concentrates, and where AI equity funding goes. This mapping reveals distinct AI hubs emerging across the country, with different growth rates, investment levels, and potential access to talent.

Machine learning advances are transforming cyber strategy and operations. This necessitates studying national security issues at the intersection of AI and cybersecurity, including offensive and defensive cyber operations, the cybersecurity of AI systems, and the effect of new technologies on global stability. 

While AI innovation would presumably continue in some form without Big Tech, the authors find that breaking up the largest technology companies could fundamentally change the broader AI innovation ecosystem, likely affecting the development of AI applications for national security.

See our translation of the 2019 application process for graduate students at Zhejiang University who wished to participate in a major Chinese government-funded study abroad program.