Could you tell whether this Program Description was written by an AI app? Most of us couldn’t. With the emergence of ChatGPT, Google’s Bard, and Bing AI, artificial intelligence (AI) is here to stay. Lawyers, law firms, and academia have embraced AI in a high-profile way – with AI systems passing law school exams, reviewing evidence, and nearly actively representing a client. With the increasing ubiquity of AI systems, the legal community must consider the ethical and professional risks and resp...
Aug 29, 2023•45 min
How has our knowledge of AI and our awareness of its potential progressed in the past 5 years? This week, we’re going back to the vault to re-air one of our first AI related episodes, featuring Michael Page, former Policy and Ethics advisor at OpenAI. Michael Page is the former Policy and Ethics Advisor at OpenAI: https://cset.georgetown.edu/staff/michael-page/ Stewart Baker is Of Counsel at Steptoe & Johnson https://www.steptoe.com/en/lawyers/stewart-baker.html References: "AI outperforms h...
Aug 22, 2023•37 min
On August 9, the Biden Administration issued a long-awaited Executive Order outlining controls on U.S. investments in certain Chinese entities related to national security. With a focus on "sensitive technologies," this EO aims to curtail both direct and indirect investments within China's advanced tech sectors, including semiconductors, quantum information technologies, and artificial intelligence. This week host Elisa is joined by Brian Egan, Partner at Skadden, for a high level review of the ...
Aug 15, 2023•17 min
Is there hope for an open, rule-bound and balanced global AI ecosystem? This week, host Elisa is joined by Klon Kitchen, national security and defense technology expert at the American Enterprise Institute. Klon unpacks the U.S.–China rivalry in the race for AI dominance, China's growing defense industrial complex, and the pros and cons that come with increasing AI competition in the national security space. Klon Kitchen is a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute: https...
Aug 08, 2023•41 min
By the day it is becoming increasingly difficult to decipher AI content from human generated content. With the power to shape narratives across the globe, are these AI models and the content generated from them an immediate threat to our media ecosystem? This week host Elisa is joined by technologist and national security expert Doowan Lee. Together they explore the fundamental principles of generative AI, its potential for large-scale influence, and the potential setback posed by content moneti...
Aug 01, 2023•52 min
This week, we're airing a recent discussion from the Women in National Security Law Webinar Program featuring Lala Qadir, incoming Chair of the Advisory Committee of the ABA Standing Committee on Law and National Security and Principal Assistant Director and Chief of Staff of the National Security Division at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Together with Moderator Margret Hu, they discuss Lala's impressive career path, the role of emerging technologies in national securi...
Jul 25, 2023•49 min
Who's the highest ranking spy in U.S. history that nobody knows about? This week, host Elisa is joined by national security expert Howard W. Cox to discuss the themes and lessons from his book, American Traitor: General Wilkinson's Betrayal of the Republic and Escape from Justice. Together they dive into the notorious career of Gen. James Wilkinson, whose corruption and espionage exposed the United States to grave dangers during the early years of the republic. Howard W. Cox is former trial atto...
Jul 18, 2023•31 min
If the runaway success of tools like ChatGPT have taught us anything, it's that the world is ready to embrace AI. But are the policies and regulations ready to tackle the risks? Continuing our series on generative AI, this week host Elisa is joined by Matthew Ferraro, emerging technology expert and Counsel at Wilmer Hale. Matthew dives in, demystifying the terminology surrounding these tools while delving into the laws and notable cases that may shape the future of AI policy in the U.S. Matthew ...
Jul 11, 2023•46 min
Recent political developments have damaged the reputation of the intelligence community and have deeply divided the country. Some say that the recent performance of the intelligence community, and particularly the FBI, has battered its reputation for avoiding partisanship. Reports by Robert Mueller, John Durham, and multiple inspectors general have fostered suspicions that the Trump-Russia investigation was driven more by politics than by evidence. This loss of faith in national security agencie...
Jul 06, 2023•1 hr 2 min
Can you spot a real from a fake? To kick off our new series on the AI revolution, host Elisa is joined by Robert Weissman, President of Public Citizen, to discuss the rapid advancement of AI generated deep fakes and how false manipulations could impact public perception in the upcoming election cycle. Together, they shed light on how the rapid advancement of AI tools has outpaced the development of adequate legislation, leaving our democracy vulnerable to manipulation and disinformation. Robert ...
Jun 29, 2023•28 min
Recently, the United States has witnessed a notable surge in immigrants entering the country, resulting in a visible strain to outdated immigration policies and procedures. With no forward-thinking bi-partisan solution in sight, is massive immigration a rising national security concern? This week, host Elisa is joined by Elaine Duke, former Deputy Secretary of the DHS. Together they dissect the interplay between immigration, national security, and the need for comprehensive legislative reforms t...
Jun 22, 2023•28 min
Part 2 of 2 – Formed in response to the Rwandan and former Yugoslavian genocides in the early 1990s, the International Criminal Court (ICC) was established with a crucial mission: to bring to justice those accountable for the most heinous crimes of global significance. In this two-part episode, host Elisa is accompanied by Cora True-Frost of Syracuse University's College of Law, to uncover the inner workings of the ICC—its organizational framework, extensive jurisdiction, and the intricate proce...
Jun 15, 2023•22 min
Formed in response to the Rwandan and former Yugoslavian genocides in the early 1990s, the International Criminal Court (ICC) was established with a crucial mission: to bring to justice those accountable for the most heinous crimes of global significance. In this two-part episode, host Elisa is accompanied by Cora True-Frost of Syracuse University's College of Law, to uncover the inner workings of the ICC—its organizational framework, extensive jurisdiction, and the intricate processes involved ...
Jun 08, 2023•38 min
After weeks of back and forth, a new debt ceiling deal is inching its way through Congress. This week, host Elisa is joined by David Wessel, economic expert at the Brookings Institution, to discuss how economic and debt policies can strengthen or weaken national security. What is the national security impact if Congress fails to reach an agreement? And are the repeated battles over the debt ceiling and deficit threatening our prosperity? David Wessel is Director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal ...
Jun 01, 2023•30 min
On May 11, the Standing Committee on Law and National Security co-sponsored a bipartisan luncheon titled “Over-classification: How Bad Is It, What’s the Fix?” in person at U.S. Capitol Visitors Center cosponsored by the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center. Opening Remarks were given by Harvey Rishikof, Counselor, American Bar Association Standing Committee on Law and National Security, and Henry Sokolski, Executive Director, Nonproliferation Policy Education Center. Speakers included Senato...
May 25, 2023•26 min
A recent report out of the National Center for Education Statistics has revealed that America's 8th graders are scoring lower on civics education today than they have been in the last 20 years. This week's episode is a recast of an excellent conversation on civics, featuring former U.S. Secretary of Defense Bob Gates, Suzanne Spaulding of CSIS, with opening remarks by Dr. John Hamre of CSIS. To meet today's challenges, Americans must rediscover shared values, relearn the fundamentals of our cons...
May 11, 2023•28 min
As the war in Ukraine continues, we are transitioning to tell the stories of those who have been on the ground during the conflict, and the legal challenges they face in the region. This week, host Elisa welcomes back Yevgeny Vindman, currently serving as an expert consultant with the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group. Yevgeny has visited numerous war crimes sites across Ukraine, and has worked with leadership to help investigate and eventually prosecute those crimes. This week he shares his experi...
May 04, 2023•30 min
The Wagner Group, a private military contractor with close ties to Russia, has been linked to countless human rights abuses and destabilizing efforts across the globe. The group is now raising speculation in Sudan as they acquire resources to aid Russia's efforts in the war in Ukraine. This week, friend-of-the-cast Adam Pearlman steps in to host John Dermody and Arthur Traldi in discussing how the Wagner Group is classified, whether it should be designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, as...
Apr 27, 2023•58 min
Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is set to expire this year unless reauthorized by Congress. This week, we're airing our latest live discussion featuring special guest April Doss, General Counsel at the National Security Agency. April addresses the arguments for supporting 702, where its pitfalls may lie, and how critical this framework is to national security. April Doss is General Counsel for the National Security Agency: https://www.nsa.gov/Culture/General-Counsel/Lead...
Apr 20, 2023•35 min
China is an engine for economic growth, and within the past few decades has expanded rapidly, lifting millions out of poverty and creating new opportunities for businesses around the world. As U.S.-China relations become more strained, does the potential for competition outweigh the benefits of cooperation? This week, host Elisa is joined by David Dollar, Senior Fellow and host of the "Dollar & Sense" podcast at the Brookings Institution, to discuss the strategic implications of China's rise...
Apr 13, 2023•36 min
The average Chinese family size is shrinking. For every 100 Chinese females there are roughly 105 Chinese males, a disparity that amounts to about 32 million more men on a countrywide scale. This shift in gender balance and family structures is the unavoidable consequence of China's declining fertility rates, and the strict One-Child Policy enacted in 1979. This week, host Elisa is joined by Ashton Verdery of Penn State University to discuss China's shifting population and how these trends will ...
Apr 06, 2023•23 min
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, evidence has emerged that Russia has been relocating and reeducating thousands of Ukrainian children – actions that constitute war crimes, and may give evidence to genocide. This week, host Elisa is joined by friend-of-the-cast Judge Jamie Baker to discuss the latest ICC war crime charges against Putin, and what this could mean for the conflict going forward. Hon. James E. Baker is Director of the Institute for Security Policy and Law at Syracuse University...
Mar 30, 2023•17 min
This week, host Elisa runs through the latest national security headlines, covering Xi Jinping's visit to Moscow, political turmoil in Israel, the International Criminal Court's recent charges against Russia, and more. References: The Rome Statute and associated articles: https://www.icc-cpi.int/sites/default/files/RS-Eng.pdf Egozi, Arie. “Improved Saudi-Iran Relationship Has Israel Nervous - about Iran, and about China.” Breaking Defense, 20 Mar. 2023: https://breakingdefense.com/2023/03/improv...
Mar 23, 2023•9 min
This week, host Elisa is joined by Joshua Kurlantzick, Senior Fellow for Southeast Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations. Together they discuss China's most recent attempts at soft power influence, most notably through the nations media presence across the globe. How successful have China's efforts been at influencing politics in foreign countries? What exactly do these efforts look like? And how do their reasons for wielding soft power influence compare to ours? Joshua Kurlantzick is Senior ...
Mar 16, 2023•28 min
This week, host Elisa welcomes on Jude Blanchette, China expert at The Center for Strategic and International Studies. With a background in China's political history and the influence of the CCP, Jude unpacks China's latest political moves, how we got to the present dynamic, and what we might expect from China in the future. Beginning with Taiwan, why is the island so important to both China and the U.S.? What are China's current goals with Taiwan, and what threats does this pose to us? And look...
Mar 10, 2023•56 min
Tik Tok, the Chinese-owned social media platform, has taken the U.S. by storm with nearly two thirds of American teenagers currently active on the app. Through a national security lens, Tik Tok is a giant red flag – Congress is advancing legislation to enable a nationwide ban over growing data-privacy concerns. But would a flat ban actually hurt more than it helps? This week, host Elisa welcomes Glenn Gerstell, former General Counsel at the National Security Agency. Together they examine Tik Tok...
Mar 02, 2023•34 min
In the absence of regulation, we are ultimately at the mercy of social media platforms and their algorithms. This week, host Elisa welcomes Joshua Tucker, Professor of Politics at NYU, to discuss his extensive research on American elections, including voter influence through social media and how broad public opinions are formed on and off these platforms. How do you go about accessing this kind of data from platforms like Twitter, Facebook and TikTok? Does Youtube's algorithm push people towards...
Feb 23, 2023•41 min
At times of real and perceived national security threats, policymakers and decision-makers sometimes consider “law” an impediment rather than an asset. In this week's episode, an expert panel addresses the question - does law matter - and other ethical questions, like how to make the case for law in times of crisis, and why the good faith application of law is a national security value. Lauren Hobart is the Associate Teaching Professor at Syracuse University College of Law: https://www.maxwell.s...
Feb 16, 2023•46 min
As Ukraine ramps up its defenses with the help of allied nations, it appears there is no end in sight for the War in Ukraine. This week, host Elisa is joined by committee member David Graham to discuss the ins and outs of the Law of Armed Conflict, and how the framework applies to the situation in Ukraine. What should Russia be held accountable for? How do we foresee this conflict playing out? And how does the Law of Armed Conflict address crimes by victim nations? David Graham is a Special Advi...
Feb 09, 2023•45 min
In Ukraine and around the world, satellites have become increasingly essential for military operations. Over 7,000 active satellites are currently in orbit, but how vulnerable are they to targeting and attack? This week host Elisa is joined by Dr. Brian Weeden of the Secure World Foundation to discuss the role satellites have played in Ukraine, in past conflicts, and how they've evolved to become a prime military vulnerability. How has Russia targeted satellites in order to gain ground in Ukrain...
Feb 02, 2023•31 min
