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CSET’s Cole McFaul shared his expert analysis in an article published by the South China Morning Post. The article examines how China’s military is systematically incorporating artificial intelligence into its operations by leveraging civilian universities and private companies under its sweeping "military-civil fusion" strategy.

A CSET report was highlighted in an article published by Defense One. The article discusses China’s growing reliance on smaller, dual-use AI companies to support the People’s Liberation Army, often in ways that obscure foreign collaboration and circumvent U.S. sanctions.

China Is Using the Private Sector to Advance Military AI

The Wall Street Journal
| September 3, 2025

CSET’s Cole McFaul and Sam Bresnick shared their expert analysis in an article published by The Wall Street Journal. The article examines how China’s military is systematically incorporating artificial intelligence into its operations by drawing on civilian universities and private companies as part of its "civil-military fusion" strategy.

Pulling Back the Curtain on China’s Military-Civil Fusion

Cole McFaul, Sam Bresnick, and Daniel Chou
| September 2025

China’s efforts to develop AI-related military capabilities have garnered significant interest in the United States. Drawing on 2,857 AI-related defense contract award notices published between January 2023 and December 2024, this report finds that while China’s legacy defense sector players lead AI-related military procurement, an emerging set of nontraditional vendors and research institutions appears to play a consequential role as well.

CSET's Kathleen Curlee was featured in a short-form documentary published by CNBC. The documentary traces SpaceX’s rise from a struggling startup to a $400 billion company that now dominates the global space industry, while raising questions about the national security implications of U.S. dependence on a single private actor.

CSET Research Analyst, Mina Narayanan shared her expert insights in an article published by Defense One. The piece examines President Trump’s newly released AI Action Plan, which outlines a sweeping effort to secure American dominance in artificial intelligence by accelerating military adoption, fast-tracking infrastructure, and expanding U.S. influence in global AI governance.

This report examines how U.S. leadership in remote sensing, launch, and advanced space technologies has shaped the global space economy and what it will take to sustain that edge. Drawing on CSET’s prior research, the paper explores the role of public investment and technology, the risks of market consolidation, and policy steps to foster innovation, resilience, and national security in an increasingly contested and commercialized space domain.

Big Tech in Taiwan

Sam Bresnick
| July 2025

This report examines how 17 leading U.S. technology companies are economically and operationally entangled with Taiwan. By mapping investments, R&D efforts, data centers, and supply chains, it sheds light on how these ties could influence corporate behavior in a future conflict with China, and what risks and incentives may shape tech companies’ decisions in a Taiwan contingency.

Lauren Kahn shared her expert insights in an article published by DefenseScoop. The article discusses the Trump administration’s new executive order on “Unleashing American Drone Dominance,” which aims to accelerate domestic drone development and adoption within the Department of Defense.

CSET’s Lauren A. Kahn co-authored an op-ed published by Foreign Affairs alongside Michael C. Horowitz and Joshua A. Schwartz. The piece explores how recent drone operations by Ukraine and Israel signal a turning point in modern warfare, demonstrating the growing power of low-cost, AI-enabled systems against traditional military platforms.