The Evolution of Commercial Drones and Security: Why You Should Care!
Panelists: Bill Edwards (Building Intelligence Inc.), David Hambling (Author, Journalist and Independent Consultant), and Zak Kallenborn (Looking Glass USA) Date: 29 November 2023 Speaker Session Summary Drones are continuously revolutionizing the modern battlefield and have since they were first introduced. Some battlefield applications for drones are obvious, such as the RQ-4 Global Hawk, which are […]
Continue ReadingBeijing Rules: How China Weaponized Its Economy to Confront the World
Speaker: Ms. Bethany Allen (Axios) Date: 18 October 2023 Speaker Session Summary During the last 25 years, China has strengthened its ability to economically coerce governments, companies, multilateral institutions, and individuals, bringing them in line with the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) desires. She summarized China’s statecraft as a “clearly communicated set of rewards and punishments […]
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Why Trust Matters in AI? How Can We Achieve It?
Speaker: Dr. David Bray (Stimson Center) Date: 5 October 2023 Speaker Session Summary The capabilities and implications of artificial intelligence are frequently discussed throughout all sectors of society. Among the many questions asked is, how can human users trust AI? Dr. Bray emphasized that the first step in understanding whether humans can trust AI, is […]
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Influence and Perception Management Office
Speaker: Mr. James Holly (OUSD (I&S)) Date: 3 October 2023 Speaker Session Summary The Influence and Perception Management Office (IPMO) is a young office within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security (OUSD I&S). However, the need for an organization managing the US Armed Forces’ messaging has been debated for […]
Continue ReadingChina’s Three Roads to Controlling Taiwan
Speakers: Dr. Dan Blumenthal (AEI) & Frederick W. Kagan (AEI); Jack Gaines, Moderator (One CA Podcast) Date: 27 September 2023 Speaker Session Summary The increasing political and military tensions between China and Taiwan are frequently discussed in Western media. During these discussions, politicians and pundits point out Taiwan’s strategic importance to the US and China, […]
Continue ReadingFreedom in the World 2023: Marking 50 Years in the Struggle for Democracy
Speaker: Yana Gorokhovskaia (Freedom House) Date: 20 September 2023 Speaker Session Summary For fifty years, Freedom House has published its assessment of the state of democracy around the world. Freedom House categorizes countries and territories in to three groups based off a point system: 1) free, 2) partly free, and 3) not free. Dr. Gorokhovskaia […]
Continue ReadingThe Minds and Actions of Devoted Actors and the Will to Fight: A Behavioral and Brain Studies Approach to War and Extreme Group Conflict
Speaker: Dr. Scott Atran (University of Michigan) Date: 12 September 2023 Speaker Session Summary What drives warfighters to make costly sacrifices—including their lives—is a long-standing question that military and civilian leaders have tried to answer. Dr. Atran explained that this question can be studied through two different psychological models: 1) rational choice theory and 2) […]
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Russia’s Role in Global Nuclear Supply Chains
Speaker: Ms. Darya Dolzikova (RUSI) Date: 12 September 2023 Speaker Session Summary Ms. Dolzikova discussed how Russia’s civil nuclear sector has largely evaded the sanctions placed on the rest of the Russian economy since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. During her presentation she outlined the drivers of the global dependency on Russia’s civil […]
Continue ReadingUS Command Perspectives on Campaigning in Support of Integrated Deterrence
Speakers: Ms. Michele Wolfe (USAFRICOM), Drs. Emily Goldman and Michael Warner (USCYBERCOM), Mr. James “JJ” Jenista (USNORTHCOM and NORAD), Mr. Robert Jones (USSOCOM), Mr. Howard Simkin (USASOC), Ms. Kayse Jansen (USSTRATCOM) Date: 10 August 2023 Speaker Session Summary The complex nature of the modern threat environment and geopolitical competition, especially competition in the gray zone, has […]
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Safety and Security of Nuclear Installations in Ukraine and Implications for Future Conflicts
Speaker: Ms. Darya Dolzikova (RUSI) Date: 1 August 2023 Speaker Session Summary The war in Ukraine is raising questions about the security of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants and the safety of civilians who are in their proximity. Military and civilian leaders in other countries that possess nuclear power plants are examining how litigation could protect […]
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