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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Data Visualization

Classifying AI Systems

Catherine Aiken and Brian Dunn
| December 2021

​​This Classifying AI Systems Interactive presents several AI system classification frameworks developed to distill AI systems into concise, comparable and policy-relevant dimensions. It provides key takeaways and framework-specific results from CSET’s analysis of more than 1,800 system classifications done by survey respondents using the frameworks. You can explore the frameworks and example AI systems used in the survey, and even take the survey.

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.

Formal Response

Recommendations to OSTP on National Security Presidential Memorandum-33

Emily S. Weinstein
| November 9, 2021

CSET's Emily Weinstein and Ainikki Riikonen of the Center for a New American Security submitted this comment to the Office of Science and Technology Policy in response to a request for recommendations on securing U.S. government research and development against foreign government interference and exploitation.

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.

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 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.

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.

Reports

Ending Innovation Tourism

Melissa Flagg and Jack Corrigan
| July 2021

As dual-use technologies transform the national security landscape, the U.S. Department of Defense has established a variety of offices and programs dedicated to bringing private sector innovation into the military. However, these efforts have largely failed to drive cutting-edge commercial technology into major military platforms and systems. This report examines the shortcomings of the DOD’s current approach to defense innovation and offers recommendations for a more effective strategy.

Reports

The Huawei Moment

Alex Rubin, Alan Omar Loera Martinez, Jake Dow, and Anna Puglisi
| July 2021

For the first time, a Chinese company—Huawei—is set to lead the global transition from one key national security infrastructure technology to the next. How did Washington, at the beginning of the twenty-first century, fail to protect U.S. firms in this strategic technology and allow a geopolitical competitor to take a leadership position in a national security relevant critical infrastructure such as telecommunications? This policy brief highlights the characteristics of 5G development that China leveraged, exploited, and supported to take the lead in this key technology. The Huawei case study is in some ways the canary in the coal mine for emerging technologies and an illustration of what can happen to U.S. competitiveness when China’s companies do not have to base decisions on market forces.