CMIST translates research into actionable insights, informing policymakers and shaping the global conversation on war, peace, and emerging technology.
What We Do
CMIST is a cross-university meeting place offering a balanced perspective on critical debates around new technologies and their impact on security and policy. Leveraging CMU’s cutting-edge research in fields such as machine learning, robotics, or human-computer interaction, our multidisciplinary team of social scientists delivers expert analyses on the ethical, social, political and economic implications of new and emerging technologies. Our researchers adopt a fresh approach to understanding how emerging technologies influence war and peace, and how best to harness their potential to create a more stable, equitable world.
Upcoming Events
Promise and Peril: The Next Ten Years of National Security AI and its Regulation
Date: Thursday, September 12, 2024, 5:00 - 6:15 p.m.
(Doors open at 4:30 p.m.; refreshments served)
Location: Grand Room, Posner Hall (340), CMU
Join CMIST for an important discussion on the future of AI regulation and national security. As keynote speaker, Judge James E. Baker will discuss the challenges and necessity of regulating the uses of AI as related to national security, including the need for proactive policymaking, accountability, and purposeful legal and ethical boundaries in areas like human-machine teaming, bias, and data collection and use. Our discussion will also consider the role of academics, practitioners, and AI observers in shaping U.S. policy and practice.
Judge James E. Baker is a tenured professor at Syracuse University College of Law, the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, and Director of the Syracuse University Institute for Security Policy and Law, where he teaches courses on national security law, emerging technologies, ethics, and related subjects.
Securing Tomorrow: U.S. Industrial Strategy, Security, and the Clean Energy Transition
Date: Thursday, September 19, 2024, 5:00 - 6:30 p.m.
(Doors open at 4:30 p.m.; refreshments served)
Location: Grand Room, Posner Hall (340), CMU
Join CMIST for a lively panel discussion on the new era of U.S. industrial policy and the clean energy transition. Our discussion will address new vulnerabilities, threats from adversaries, and frameworks to mitigate risks and maximize potential in the clean energy transition.
Moderated by CMIST Director Audrey Kurth Cronin, this panel features Harry Krejsa, former Assistant National Cyber Director for Strategy and Research at the White House Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD), and Costa Samaras, Director of CMU’s Scott Institute for Energy Innovation. They will explore the intricacies of this transformative era and how to blaze the path forward.
CMIST Conversations with Senior Leaders: Dr. Stacey A. Dixon, Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence (PDDNI)
Date: Wednesday, September 25, 2024, 3:30 - 4:15 p.m.
(Doors open at 3:15 p.m.)
Location: Rachel Mellon Walton Reception Room, Posner Hall (1st Floor), CMU
Conversations with Senior Leaders is a CMIST speaker series that provides a platform for distinguished leaders across national security and technology to share their leadership philosophies, strategies for success, and invaluable lessons learned over their illustrious careers.
Join us as we welcome Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, Dr. Stacey Dixon for a fireside chat with CMIST Director, Professor Audrey Kurth Cronin. Dr. Stacey Dixon, the Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence (PDDNI), brings over 20 years of leadership in the intelligence community, including roles as Deputy Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and Director of the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity.
The conversation will explore Dr. Dixon’s remarkable career and the critical impact of public service in advancing national security. An audience Q&A will follow.
Celebrating CMIST: Pathways to Public Service
Date: Friday, September 27, 2024, 11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
(Doors open at 10:30 a.m.)
Location: Grand Room, Posner Hall (340), CMU
Join CMIST for a unique opportunity to hear from Ambassador Nathaniel C. Fick, the inaugural U.S. Ambassador at Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy. As a distinguished figure in both public service and the private sector, Ambassador Fick will deliver the keynote address as we mark one year of CMIST at this milestone event.
At this exclusive event, you'll have the chance to hear Ambassador Fick share insights on the importance of CMIST's work, discuss his current role in shaping U.S. cyberspace and digital policy, and highlight different pathways into public service.
Following his keynote address, Ambassador Fick and CMIST Director Audrey Kurth Cronin will engage in an informal fireside chat. This discussion will provide a unique opportunity to learn more about Ambassador Fick's remarkable career and the future of technology in governance.
After the fireside chat, there will be a Q&A session where the audience can ask Ambassador Fick questions about his experiences, the field of tech diplomacy, and career opportunities in public service.
