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.

Annual Report

CSET at Five

Center for Security and Emerging Technology
| March 2024

In honor of CSET’s fifth birthday, this annual report is a look at CSET’s successes in 2023 and over the course of the past five years. It explores CSET’s different lines of research and cross-cutting projects, and spotlights some of its most impactful research products.

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See our original translation of a 2021 PRC State Council updated plan to improve the "scientific literacy" of China's population.

Analysis

The DOD’s Hidden Artificial Intelligence Workforce

Diana Gehlhaus Ron Hodge Luke Koslosky Kayla Goode Jonathan Rotner
| September 2021

This policy brief, authored in collaboration with the MITRE Corporation, provides a new perspective on the U.S. Department of Defense’s struggle to recruit and retain artificial intelligence talent. The authors find that the DOD already has a cadre of AI and related experts, but that this talent remains hidden. Better leveraging this talent could go a long way in meeting the DOD’s AI objectives. The authors argue that this can be done through policies that more effectively identify AI talent and assignment opportunities, processes that incentivize experimentation and changes in career paths, and investing in the necessary technological infrastructure.

Formal Response

Recommendations for the National AI Research Resource Task Force

Dakota Cary
| September 27, 2021

CSET submitted this comment to the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Science Foundation to support the work of the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR) Task Force to develop an implementation roadmap that would provide AI researchers and students across scientific disciplines access to computational resources, high-quality data, educational tools, and user support.

Data Snapshot

Concentrations of AI-Related Topics in Research: Robotics

Sara Abdulla
| September 22, 2021

Data Snapshots are informative descriptions and quick analyses that dig into CSET’s unique data resources. Our first series of Snapshots introduced CSET’s Map of Science and explored the underlying data and analytic utility of this new tool, which enables users to interact with the Map directly.

Analysis

Robot Hacking Games

Dakota Cary
| September 2021

Software vulnerability discovery, patching, and exploitation—collectively known as the vulnerability lifecycle—is time consuming and labor intensive. Automating the process could significantly improve software security and offensive hacking. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Cyber Grand Challenge supported teams of researchers from 2014 to 2016 that worked to create these tools. China took notice. In 2017, China hosted its first Robot Hacking Game, seeking to automate the software vulnerability lifecycle. Since then, China has hosted seven such competitions and the People’s Liberation Army has increased its role in hosting the games.

Data Brief

From Cold War Sanctions to Weaponized Interdependence

Adam Kline Tim Hwang
| September 2021

As U.S. policymakers grapple with the need to control international technology flows, this annotated bibliography distills key lessons and surveys 50 years of scholarship, government documents, and commentary. The resources it presents are at the intersection of international economics and technology and span from the Cold War to the current challenges surrounding U.S.-China relations.

See our original translation of a 2021 PRC white paper describing the importance and difficulty of improving the "trustworthiness" of AI systems.

Analysis

AI Education in China and the United States

Dahlia Peterson Kayla Goode Diana Gehlhaus
| September 2021

A globally competitive AI workforce hinges on the education, development, and sustainment of the best and brightest AI talent. This issue brief compares efforts to integrate AI education in China and the United States, and what advantages and disadvantages this entails. The authors consider key differences in system design and oversight, as well as strategic planning. They then explore implications for the U.S. national security community.

Analysis

Education in China and the United States

Dahlia Peterson Kayla Goode Diana Gehlhaus
| September 2021

A globally competitive AI workforce hinges on the education, development, and sustainment of the best and brightest AI talent. This issue brief provides an overview of the education systems in China and the United States, lending context to better understand the accompanying main report, “AI Education in China and the United States: A Comparative Assessment.”

A CSET original translation of 2021 PRC "Opinions" outlining new policies for Pudong New District in Shanghai, long a trendsetter in Chinese economic reform.