Center for Security and Emerging Technology

Center for Security and Emerging Technology
Name	Center for Security and Emerging Technology
Abbrev	CSET
Type	Think tank
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Founded	2019
Founders	Georgetown University, Georgetown University in Qatar, Paul Scharre, David D. A. Johnson
Fields	Artificial intelligence, biotechnology, national security, technology policy
Parent organization	Georgetown University

Center for Security and Emerging Technology

The Center for Security and Emerging Technology is a research center focusing on the security implications of emerging technologies, especially artificial intelligence and biotechnology. It produces policy analysis and technical assessments aimed at informing legislators, executives, and think tanks in Washington, D.C., and internationally. The center engages with academics, industry, and international organizations to shape debates linked to technology governance and strategic competition.

Overview

The center operates at the intersection of Georgetown University, Brookings Institution, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Council on Foreign Relations, RAND Corporation, and Hoover Institution networks, contributing to discussions that involve United States Department of Defense, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, United States Congress, NATO, and European Commission audiences. Research topics commonly intersect with work from Alan Turing Institute, OpenAI, DeepMind, Microsoft Research, and Google DeepMind researchers, while also engaging scholars connected to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, Harvard University, Princeton University, and Yale University.

History and Founding

The organization was established in 2019 with support tied to debates among policymakers influenced by publications from Future of Humanity Institute, Center for a New American Security, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, and practitioners from Defense Innovation Board. Founders and early staff have backgrounds at Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, National Security Council, and private firms including Palantir Technologies, IBM Research, and Amazon Web Services. Early collaborations included workshops with researchers from Stanford Internet Observatory, MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, University of Oxford, and University of Cambridge.

Mission and Research Areas

Its mission emphasizes policy-relevant analysis on strategic competition, risk assessment, and governance of technologies such as machine learning and synthetic biology. Core research areas overlap with topics addressed by AI Now Institute, Partnership on AI, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Center for Strategic and International Studies, and International Committee of the Red Cross discussions. Projects examine industrial policy linked to Semiconductor Industry Association, supply chain concerns involving TSMC, and talent flows comparable to analyses by National Academy of Sciences and Royal Society. Work also considers arms control dialogues akin to those pursued by Arms Control Association and export control regimes like the Wassenaar Arrangement.

Publications and Reports

The center issues reports, policy briefs, datasets, and technical primers that are cited alongside material from Nature, Science (journal), The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and academic outlets at ACM, IEEE, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Notable outputs have been referenced in hearings of the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services, briefings to United States House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and white papers used by Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation. The center has published work on model interpretability that complements studies from Allen Institute for AI and comparative analyses similar to those by McKinsey & Company and Boston Consulting Group.

Policy Impact and Advising

Researchers have provided expertise to policymakers in contexts comparable to engagements by Center for International Policy, International Institute for Strategic Studies, World Economic Forum, and United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs. The center’s findings have influenced legislative proposals debated alongside input from Electronic Privacy Information Center, Center for Democracy and Technology, and advocacy groups such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. It has also participated in multistakeholder forums with representatives from IBM, Google, Microsoft, Meta Platforms, and startups featured at TechCrunch Disrupt and CES.

Organizational Structure and Funding

The center is organized with research staff, fellows, and visiting scholars drawn from institutions such as University of California, Berkeley, Cornell University, Columbia University, University of Chicago, and Johns Hopkins University. Funding sources include philanthropic grants from foundations comparable to Open Philanthropy Project, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and corporate partnerships echoing patterns at Carnegie Corporation of New York. Advisory boards have included individuals with prior roles at Central Intelligence Agency, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, U.S. Cyber Command, and multinational firms like Booz Allen Hamilton and Accenture.

Criticism and Controversies

Critiques have emerged related to potential ties with corporate funders and alignment with policy perspectives similar to debates around Center for Strategic and International Studies and Atlantic Council. Commentators from Electronic Frontier Foundation, Center for Media and Democracy, and academic critics at State University of New York campuses have questioned influence, transparency, and methodological assumptions in some quantitative studies. Debates echo controversies surrounding advisory relationships seen at Future of Life Institute and concerns raised in media outlets including The Intercept and ProPublica.

Category:Think tanks in the United States