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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CSET Non-Resident Senior Fellow Kevin Wolf testified before the Senate Banking Committee on U.S. export control policy and opportunities.

CSET Non-Resident Senior Fellow Kevin Wolf testified before the House Foreign Affairs Oversight and Accountability Subcommittee regarding U.S. export control policy and his recommendations going forward.

CSET Non-Resident Senior Fellow Kevin Wolf testified before the United Kingdom Parliament on export controls and Russia.

Reports

Banned in D.C.

Jack Corrigan, Sergio Fontanez, and Michael Kratsios
| October 2022

U.S. federal policymakers have recently gained the authority to block government agencies and private organizations from using foreign technologies that pose national security risks. But securing U.S. networks will require them to wield those powers effectively and better coordinate supply chain security efforts across all levels of government. The authors provide an overview of federal- and state-level procurement bans and recommend ways to build stronger defense against foreign technology threats.

Reports

Decoupling in Strategic Technologies

Tim Hwang and Emily S. Weinstein
| July 2022

Geopolitical tensions between the United States and China have sparked an ongoing dialogue in Washington about the phenomenon of “decoupling”—the use of public policy tools to separate the multifaceted economic ties that connect the two powers. This issue brief provides a historical lens on the efficacy of one specific aspect of this broader decoupling phenomenon: using export controls and related trade policies to prevent a rival from acquiring the equipment and know-how to catch up to the United States in cutting-edge, strategically important technologies.

Reports

Chokepoints

Ben Murphy
| May 2022

China’s "Science and Technology Daily," a state-run newspaper, published a revealing series of articles in 2018 on 35 different Chinese technological import dependencies. The articles, accessible here in English for the first time, express concern that strategic Chinese industries are vulnerable to any disruption to their supply of specific U.S., Japanese, and European “chokepoint” technologies. This issue brief summarizes the article series and analyzes the Chinese perspective on these import dependencies and their causes.

Data Brief

Research Impact, Research Output, and the Role of International Collaboration

Autumn Toney and Melissa Flagg
| November 2021

This data brief explores how international collaboration relates to the impact and output of research publications. Focusing on the top 10 countries with the highest publication output from 2010 to 2019, the authors provide a comprehensive analysis across the major fields of science and technology.

Reports

Mapping the AI Investment Activities of Top Global Defense Companies

Ngor Luong, Rebecca Gelles, and Melissa Flagg
| October 2021

Militaries around the world have often relied on the largest global defense companies to acquire and integrate cutting-edge technologies. This issue brief examines the investment and mergers and acquisition activities in artificial intelligence of the top 50 global defense companies — a key, if limited, approach to accessing AI innovation in the commercial sector — and assesses investment trends of their corporate venture capital subsidiaries and offers a geographic breakdown of defense companies and their AI target companies.

Data Brief

From Cold War Sanctions to Weaponized Interdependence

Adam Kline and 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.

Reports

Small Data’s Big AI Potential

Husanjot Chahal, Helen Toner, and Ilya Rahkovsky
| September 2021

Conventional wisdom suggests that cutting-edge artificial intelligence is dependent on large volumes of data. An overemphasis on “big data” ignores the existence—and underestimates the potential—of several AI approaches that do not require massive labeled datasets. This issue brief is a primer on “small data” approaches to AI. It presents exploratory findings on the current and projected progress in scientific research across these approaches, which country leads, and the major sources of funding for this research.