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 Senior Fellow Andrew Lohn testified before the House of Representatives Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Innovation at a hearing on "Securing the Future: Harnessing the Potential of Emerging Technologies While Mitigating Security Risks." Lohn discussed the application of AI systems in cybersecurity and AI’s vulnerabilities.

Data Visualization

Map of China’s State Key Laboratory System

Emily S. Weinstein, Daniel Chou, Channing Lee, Ryan Fedasiuk, and Anna Puglisi
| June 2022

China’s State Key Laboratory system drives the country’s innovation in science and technology. A key part of China’s aim to reduce its dependence on foreign technology, these labs conduct cutting-edge basic and applied research, attract and train domestic and foreign talent, and conduct academic exchanges with foreign counterparts. These laboratories are spread across almost all Chinese provinces except Tibet, with the majority clustered in large coastal cities.

CSET Director Dewey Murdick testified before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence hearing on "Countering the People’s Republic of China’s Economic and Technological Plan for Dominance." Murdick discussed China's strategy to move towards self-sufficiency in key technologies and steps the United States can take to respond.

CSET Senior Fellow Andrew Lohn testified before the House of Representatives Science, Space and Technology Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight and Subcommittee on Research and Technology at a hearing on "Securing the Digital Commons: Open-Source Software Cybersecurity." Lohn discussed how the United States can maximize sharing within the artificial intelligence community while reducing risks to the AI supply chain.

CSET Senior Fellow Andrew Lohn testified before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Cybersecurity hearing on artificial intelligence applications to operations in cyberspace. Lohn discussed AI's capabilities and vulnerabilities in cyber defenses and offenses.

Data Snapshot

Examining Patent Data in PARAT  

Sara Abdulla
| March 30, 2022

Data Snapshots are informative descriptions and quick analyses that dig into CSET’s unique data resources. This is the fourth in a series of Snapshots exploring CSET’s Private-sector AI-Related Activity Tracker (PARAT). Check in every two weeks to see our newest Snapshot, and explore PARAT, which collects data related to companies’ AI research and development to inform analysis of the global AI sector.

CSET Research Analyst Dakota Cary testified before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission hearing on "China’s Cyber Capabilities: Warfare, Espionage, and Implications for the United States." Cary discussed the cooperative relationship between Chinese universities and China’s military and intelligence services to develop talent with the capabilities to perform state-sponsored cyberespionage operations.

Data Brief

Trends in Robotics Patents

Margarita Konaev and Sara Abdulla
| November 2021

Advances in robotics technology are having a transformative effect on how people work, travel, communicate, and fight wars. This data brief provides an overview of global trends in robotics patents between 2005 and 2019, focusing in particular on the state of robotics patenting in Russia, as well as developments in military robotics patents both in Russia and across the globe.

CSET Senior Fellow Anna Puglisi testified before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on "Beijing's Long Arm: Threats to U.S. National Security." She offered recommendations to counter China's S&T collection efforts.

Data Brief

China’s Robotics Patent Landscape

Sara Abdulla
| August 2021

Since 2011, China has dramatically grown its robotics sector as part of its mission to achieve technological leadership. The Chinese government has encouraged this growth through incentives and, in some cases, subsidies. Patents in robotics have surged, particularly at Chinese universities; by contrast, private companies comprise the bulk of robotics patent filers around the world. China has also seen a corresponding growth in robotics purchasing and active robotics stock. This data brief explores the trends in robotics patent families published from China as a measure of robotics advancement and finds that China is on track to emerge as a world leader in robotics.