William Hannas is the Lead Analyst at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). Prior to joining CSET, Bill was a member of the Senior Intelligence Service at the Central Intelligence Agency, where he served as an executive expert for advanced technical projects, and was a three-time recipient of the McCone Award for technological innovation. Bill was an Assistant Professor of Chinese at Georgetown, where he taught Chinese and Korean, and concurrently served with the CIA’s Open Source Enterprise, monitoring Asian language publications. He began his career on submarines and as a cryptanalyst of foreign ciphers.
Bill holds a B.A. in Chinese and Russian history from Temple University, an M.A. from the University of Chicago in Chinese, and a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in East Asian languages and linguistics. Between degrees, Bill studied and taught at Yonsei University in Seoul and National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei, and served with the Joint Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg. Bill is the author of Asia’s Orthographic Dilemma (1997), The Writing on the Wall: How Asian Orthography Curbs Creativity (2003), primary author of Chinese Industrial Espionage (2013), and co-editor of China’s Quest for Foreign Technology (2021) and Chinese Power and Artificial Intelligence (2023).
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Open source intelligence (OSINT) and science and technology intelligence (STI) are realized differently in the United States and China, China putting greater value on both. In the United States’ understanding, OSINT “enables” classified reporting, while… Read More
Since 2016, China has engaged in a nationwide effort to "merge" AI and neuroscience research as a major part of its next-generation AI development program. This report explores China’s AI-brain program — identifying key players… Read More
Establishing a new open-source National Science and Technology Analysis Center… Read More
China is broadening its deeply rooted technology transfer practices to include artificial intelligence. As these efforts bear fruit, we discuss how the United States can and should respond. Read More
Dewey Murdick and William Hannas shared their expert analysis in an op-ed published by The National Interest. In their piece, they discussed China's approach to artificial intelligence and the lessons it offers to American policymakers. Read More
MWI Podcast: DeepSeek and the US-China AI Race
February 2025In an MWI Podcast episode about the rapid development of China’s AI capabilities, Bill Hannas and Sam Bresnick shared their expert insights. Read More
In their op-ed in Newsweek, William Hannas and Huey-Meei Chang discussed the ongoing challenge of China’s technology acquisition and the complexities of U.S.-China collaboration in artificial intelligence (AI). Read More
Large generative models are widely viewed as the most promising path to general (human-level) artificial intelligence and attract investment in the billions of dollars. The present enthusiasm notwithstanding, a chorus of ranking Chinese scientists regard… Read More
The celebrated return to China of its overseas scientists, as evidenced in the recent case of physicist Gao Huajian, is typically cited as a loss to the United States. This report argues a contrarian view… Read More
In an article published by WIRED exploring China's advancement in BCI technology, CSET's William Hannas offered his expert insight. Read More
Bibliometric Analysis of China’s Non-Therapeutic Brain-Computer Interface Research
March 2024China’s brain-computer interface research has two dimensions. Besides its usual applications in neuropathology, China is extending the benefits of BCI to the general population, aiming at enhanced cognition and a “merger” of natural and artificial… Read More
China’s New AI ‘Supermind’ Deepens Challenge to U.S.
February 2024William Hannas, Lead Analyst at CSET, provided expert insights in a Newsweek article discussing China's development of "Supermind," a new AI-based intelligence platform. Read More
An expert assessment of Chinese scientific literature validates China's public claim to be working toward artificial general intelligence (AGI). At a time when other nations are contemplating safeguards on AI research, China’s push toward AGI… Read More
In late 2020, China established the Beijing Institute for General Artificial Intelligence, a state-backed institution dedicated to building software that emulates or surpasses human cognition in many or all of its aspects. Open source materials… Read More
China is following a national strategy to lead the world in artificial intelligence by 2030, including by pursuing “general AI” that can act autonomously in novel circumstances. Open-source research identifies 30 Chinese institutions engaged in… Read More
The transfer of national security relevant technology—to peer competitors especially—is a well-documented problem and must be balanced with the benefits of free exchange. The following propositions covering six facets of the transfer issue reflect CSET’s… Read More
Open source intelligence (OSINT) and science and technology intelligence (STI) are realized differently in the United States and China, China putting greater value on both. In the United States’ understanding, OSINT “enables” classified reporting, while… Read More
Since 2016, China has engaged in a nationwide effort to "merge" AI and neuroscience research as a major part of its next-generation AI development program. This report explores China’s AI-brain program — identifying key players… Read More
Establishing a new open-source National Science and Technology Analysis Center… Read More
China is broadening its deeply rooted technology transfer practices to include artificial intelligence. As these efforts bear fruit, we discuss how the United States can and should respond. Read More