Demand for talent is one of the core elements of technological competition between the United States and China. In this issue brief, we explore demand signals in China’s domestic AI workforce in two ways: geographically and within the defense and surveillance sectors. Our exploration of job postings from Spring 2021 finds that more than three-quarters of all AI job postings are concentrated in just three regions: the Yangtze River Delta region, the Pearl River Delta, and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the world’s most pressing global health threats. Basic research is the first step towards identifying solutions. This brief examines the AMR research landscape since 2000, finding that the amount of research is increasing and that the U.S. is a leading publisher, but also that novel solutions like phages and synthetic antimicrobial production are a small portion of that research.

This report summarizes recent DOD digital workforce trends as an update to our 2021 report. We expanded our definition of AI talent to include data, analytics, software, and AI, referred to here as the “digital workforce,” to be more aligned with Department needs and current workforce planning efforts. We find that the Department of Defense continues to struggle with their ability to define, identify, develop, assign, promote, and retain digital talent.

AI capabilities are evolving quickly and pose novel—and likely significant—risks. In these rapidly changing conditions, how can policymakers effectively anticipate and manage risks from the most advanced and capable AI systems at the frontier of the field? This Roundtable Report summarizes some of the key themes and conclusions of a July 2023 workshop on this topic jointly hosted by CSET and Google DeepMind.

CSET submitted the following comment in response to a Request for Information (RFI) from the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy about potential changes to the Policies for Federal and Institutional Oversight of Life Sciences Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC) and Recommended Policy Guidance for Departmental Development of Review Mechanisms for Potential Pandemic Pathogen Care and Oversight (P3CO).

Translation Snapshots are short posts that highlight related translations produced by CSET’s in-house translation team. Each snapshot identifies relevant translations, provides short summaries, and links to the full translations. Check back regularly for additional Translation Snapshots highlighting our work.

Gain- and loss-of-function research have contributed to breakthroughs in vaccine development, genetic research, and gene therapy. At the same time, a subset of gain- and loss-of-function studies involve high-risk, highly virulent pathogens that could spread widely among humans if deliberately or unintentionally released. In this report, we map the gain- and loss-of-function global research landscape using a quantitative approach that combines machine learning with subject-matter expert review.

Technical talent is vital to innovation and economic growth, and attracting these highly mobile workers is critical to staying on the cutting-edge of the technological frontier. Conventional wisdom holds that the defense community generally struggles to access this talent pool. This policy brief uses LinkedIn data to track the movement of tech workers between industries and metro areas, with a particular focus on the U.S. Department of Defense, the defense industrial base, and the so-called “Big Tech” companies.

CSET submitted the following comment in response to a Request for Information (RFI) from the National Science Foundation (NSF) about the development of the newly established Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP) Directorate, in accordance with the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022.

Creating adequate talent pipelines for the cybersecurity workforce is an ongoing priority for the federal government. Understanding the effectiveness of current education initiatives will help policymakers make informed decisions. This report analyzes the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber (NCAE-C), a consortium of institutions designated as centers of excellence by the National Security Agency. It aims to determine how NCAE-C designated institutions fare compared to other schools in graduating students with cyber-related degrees and credentials.