The Stanford Emerging Technology Review launches in the nation’s capital; Hoover, Stanford University, and the National Academies convene scholars, government officials, and industry leaders to discuss risks, opportunities, and safeguards needed in international research collaborations; and Hoover hosts its fifth annual Tech Track 2 Symposium.
FEATURED ANALYSIS
Stanford Emerging Technology Review Launches in Washington, DC
January 25 and 26 marked the Washington, DC launch of the Stanford Emerging Technology Review, a university-wide collaboration dedicated to analyzing how frontier technologies are shaping the global landscape.
Copresented by the Hoover Institution and the Stanford School of Engineering, the initiative aims to guide policymakers on the policy implications of frontier technologies including space, semiconductors, materials science, sustainable energy technologies, cryptography, biotechnology, and artificial intelligence (AI).
During the events at the nation’s capital, the Review’s contributing scholars engaged with policymakers, national security officials, and journalists, emphasizing the need for American laws and institutions to keep pace with technological advancements.
Click here to learn more and watch video of the events.
Click here to learn more about the Stanford Emerging Technology Review.
HIGHLIGHTS
Axios Report on The Stanford Emerging Technology Review
In December, the news outlet Axios attended a meeting hosted by the Review for journalists. The publication characterized the events as “a mix of theoretical discussions and visits to labs and conversations with professors across campus designed to show the types of issues that are likely to demand attention from regulators.”
In its coverage of the proceedings, Axios pointed to the intersections of frontier technologies raised by scholars: “For example, AI could fuel advances in fields such as material science, which in turn could help give AI the faster chips and computers it needs to move forward.”
Click here to read the entire story.
What Are the Risks and Opportunities of Future International Research Collaboration?
On Monday, January 22, Dr. Thomas Mason, Los Alamos National Laboratory director, provided insights on how US academic and policy leaders should navigate the complex environment of international research collaboration. He advocated for striking a balance between maintaining openness and providing safeguards against industrial espionage and intellectual property theft.
Dr. Mason warned against jeopardizing international collaboration, citing achievements like laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LISB) used on Mars rovers—technology that can also be used to detect nuclear detonations.
Click here to learn more and listen to Dr. Mason’s lecture.
Who Should Lead Efforts to Safeguard US Research Collaboration Abroad?
The Hoover Institution, Stanford University, and the National Academies hosted the Pacific regional meeting of the National Science, Technology, and Security Roundtable, a two-day meeting in which scholars, government officials, and industry leaders addressed how best to safeguard academic research from malign foreign influence, theft, and manipulation while encouraging academics to continue to participate in valuable international research collaborations.
Throughout the sessions, speakers placed the responsibility of mitigating risks with regulatory, law enforcement, and intelligence agencies. Further, attendees acknowledged that despite ongoing tensions between the United States and China, research collaborations between the two nations continue to yield fruitful outcomes.
Click here to read more.
The 5th Annual Tech Track 2 Symposium
Senior officials from the Department of Defense, National Security Council, Department of Commerce, and intelligence community joined Hoover Institution director Condoleezza Rice and Hoover scholars for the fifth annual Tech Track 2 Symposium on November 28, 2023. Chaired by Amy Zegart, Raj Shah, and Michael Brown, the event aimed to strengthen collaboration between government, academia, and the tech industry. The symposium highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary efforts to develop robust strategies for economic statecraft, with the aim of bolstering the United States in its geopolitical competition and in achieving its national security objectives.
Hoover fellows provided material insights to defense leaders on these issues, and all parties indicated a desire to continue building ties between US government leadership, academia, Silicon Valley, and the private sector.
Click here to read more.
Fellow Spotlight: Amy Zegart
Amy Zegart is the Morris Arnold and Nona Jean Cox Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and professor of political science (by courtesy) at Stanford University. She is also a senior fellow at Stanford's Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence Institute and the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies. She co-chairs the Stanford Emerging Technology Review and Hoover’s Technology, Economics, and Governance Working Group. The author of five books, including most recently, Spies, Lies, and Algorithms: The History and Future of American Intelligence, Dr. Zegart specializes in US intelligence, emerging technologies and national security, grand strategy, and global political risk management.
For more insight on Understanding the Effects of Technology on Economics and Governance, visit: https://www.hoover.org/focus-areas/understanding-effects-technology-economics-and-governance
