Overview

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. In September 2023, the R Street Institute launched 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. 

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.

Learn more about R Street’s cybersecurity and emerging threats team here and our artificial intelligence work here. Please contact pr@rstreet.org with inquiries.

Research and Analysis

• January 2024: The Transformative Role of AI in Cybersecurity: Understanding Current Applications and Benefits
• January 2024: The Transformative Role of AI in Cybersecurity: Anticipating and Preparing for Future Applications and Benefits
• February 2024: Harnessing AI’s Potential: Examining the Landscape of AI Risks
• February 2024: Harnessing AI’s Potential: Identifying Security Risks to AI Systems
• April 2024: Balancing Risk and Reward: AI Risk Tolerance in Cybersecurity
• May 2024: Assessing the Current State of AI-Cybersecurity Governance: Progress, Challenges, and Solutions
• May 2024: Advancing AI Security Through Strategic Governance

Events

AI’s Role in Enhancing Cyber Resilience

While we should be concerned about malicious actors leveraging AI to conduct cyberattacks, we must also embrace its many beneficial applications in security.

Watch

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, Policy, Center for Democracy and Technology

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, Software & Information Industry Association (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, Center for New American Security (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)