The R Street Institute Launches Cybersecurity-Artificial Intelligence Working Group
Contact: Corie Whalen, Media Relations Director, [email protected]
The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven technologies has opened the floodgates to novel opportunities and applications. Alongside these opportunities, attendant cybersecurity threats are also expected to rise. The R Street Institute is launching a six-month-long working group bringing together experts from government, the private sector, academia and civil society to examine use cases; existing regulatory and legislative proposals; and best practices and possible paths forward for policymakers and their staff, as well as the broader community, during this innovative and transformative era.
“This group comes at a critical time, as policymakers are wrestling with approaches to artificial intelligence, which must account for the benefits AI offers to cybersecurity while addressing concerns in an even-handed manner,” said Brandon Pugh, Director of R Street’s Cybersecurity and Emerging Threats team. “Multidisciplinary perspectives are critical as we explore this topic, and I am thrilled that these leading experts are sharing their time and expertise.”
An alphabetical list of working group members appears below.
Cybersecurity is constantly evolving. Organizations and individuals are leveraging AI to automate and/or aid detection, response and remediation of cyber incidents and to automate repetitive processes so responders can focus on higher priority threats, among many other uses. Meanwhile, others are exploring how AI may be used to further protect national security systems as threat actors and criminals use it to improve their tactics, techniques and procedures for infiltrating organizations or compromising individuals.
The group will meet monthly in the beginning to consider a range of topics from uses to safeguards, intending to identify current and future cases for AI applications in cybersecurity and offer best practices for addressing concerns and weighing them against potential benefits. The working group will produce written products and host public and private events and briefings for members and other experts to address and educate on the nexus between AI and cybersecurity as it pertains to the group’s ongoing work and emerging developments.
This effort grew out of the R Street Institute’s dedicated Cybersecurity and Emerging Threats program—which focuses on complex public policy around data privacy and security, cybersecurity threats, and cyber policy and regulation from incident reporting to critical infrastructure—as well as our dedication to working across a broad coalition of experts and allies to educate lawmakers and their staff and our history of achieving real solutions.
Working Group Members
Amy Chang, Senior Fellow – Cybersecurity and Emerging Threats, R Street Institute
Karen Guttieri, Associate Professor, Army Cyber Institute – United States Military Academy
Rob Hicks, Legislative Director, Congressman Jay Obernolte (Advisory)
Samir Jain, Vice President of Policy, CDT
Sam Kaplan, Director & Senior Global Policy Counsel, Palo Alto Networks (Advisory)
Ram Shankar Siva Kumar, Affiliate, Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society – Harvard University
Paul Lekas, Senior Vice President, SIIA
Collen Lewis, National Security Advisor, Senator Joe Machin III (Advisory)
Jessica Newman, Director, UC Berkeley AI Security Initiative
Brandon Pugh, Director & Senior Fellow – Cybersecurity and Emerging Threats, R Street Institute
Lt. Gen. (R) Jack Shanahan, Adjunct Senior Fellow, CNAS
Charley Snyder, Head of Security Policy, Google (Advisory)
Adam Thierer, Senior Fellow – Tech and Innovation, R Street Institute
Olivia Trusty, Professional Staff Member, Senate Armed Services Committee (Minority) (Advisory)
Mike Weigand, Co-Founder & Chief Growth Officer, Shift5 (Advisory)
