Karson Elmgren is a Research Analyst at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET), where he works on the AI Assessment team. Karson works on topics related to standards, testing and regulation for AI, as well as AI hardware, with a particular focus on the United States and China. Previously, he worked with OpenAI, Asia Society Policy Institute and the Truman National Security Project among other organizations. Karson holds an M.A. in Security Studies from Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service. He completed dual B.A.s in Russian and Chinese language and area studies at the University of Texas, Austin, and also studied at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow and National Chengchi University in Taipei.

In an opinion piece for Tech Policy Press, CSET's Krystal Jackson, Karson Elmgren, Jacob Feldgoise, and their coauthor Andrew Critch wrote about computational power as a key factor driving AI progress.

Silicon Twist

June 2022

The Chinese military’s progress in artificial intelligence largely depends on continued access to high-end semiconductors. By analyzing thousands of purchasing records, this policy brief offers a detailed look at how China’s military comes to access these devices. The authors find that most computer chips ordered by Chinese military units are designed by American companies, and outline steps that the U.S. government could take to curtail their access.