Associate Fellow, Technology & National Security program @CNASdc | Views are my own
Joined September 2017
- Tweets 1,013
- Following 236
- Followers 669
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28 May 2024
In my latest @CNASdc report, I take stock of the global competition to build and scale quantum computers, with a particular focus on the U.S.-China dynamic.
cnas.org/publications/report…
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Sam Howell retweeted
Apr 21
🚨NEW: "Sovereign AI" is ubiquitous in today's policy debate, but what does it actually look like in practice? To answer that, we've just launched the CNAS Sovereign AI Index, which tracks 130 sovereign AI projects across 50 countries.
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Mar 27
Come work with us @CNASdc!
The CNAS Technology and National Security Program is looking for our next intern, starting in May!
If you want to support cutting-edge policy research to advance U.S. leadership in AI, biotech, quantum, and more, please apply at the link below by April 3.
👇👇👇
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"The discovery of CCP-linked biolabs in Las Vegas and Reedley should serve as a wake-up call for U.S. policymakers."
Read more from @Sam_Howell15 in @lawfare on how the U.S. is unprepared to counter biological hazards, putting Americans’ safety at risk. cnas.org/publications/commen…
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The discovery of a suspected biolab in Las Vegas is the latest example of suspected CCP-linked biolabs on American soil. @Sam_Howell15 explores how policymakers should improve federal oversight of unauthorized biological research activity to protect Americans.
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Mar 18
In my latest with @lawfare, I detail the recent discovery of an unauthorized biolab in Las Vegas. The owner of the lab—Zhu Jia Bei—was arrested and indicted for his involvement with a similar unauthorized biolab in Reedley, California in 2023.
lawfaremedia.org/article/two…
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Mar 18
Absent policy change—including comprehensive oversight of private biological research, mandatory reporting requirements for pathogen acquisition, and a deeper understanding of how biological agents might be weaponized—the United States remains vulnerable.
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Mar 18
Policymakers must act decisively to close the gaps before another unauthorized biolab is discovered—or worse, before American citizens pay the price for one that goes undetected.
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Sam Howell retweeted
1/Very pleased to share my new @CNASdc report on quantum supply chains, coauthored with John Burke. It follows nearly two years of research, roundtables, and dozens of expert interviews across the U.S. quantum ecosystem. Key insights and link below.
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Mar 9
New @WarOnTheRocks piece from Michelle Holko, John Wilbanks, and I on the importance of biodata to U.S. tech leadership.
AI-enabled biotech will reshape medicine, supply chains, and military power. Yet the United States still is not organized to compete as China races ahead.
warontherocks.com/2026/03/ai…
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Sam Howell retweeted
Feb 25
In this short essay, my @CNASdc colleague @gibbs_mckinley adapts our “global swing states” framework to identify pivotal African countries - and sketch a path for U.S. engagement.
Check it out: cnas.org/publications/commen…
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Feb 13
These interventions will help ensure that U.S. biodata is secure, standardized, and strategically governed across health and non-health domains alike.
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Feb 13
Read more about our ongoing biotechnology work @CNASdc here: cnas.org/research/technology…
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Feb 13
Meanwhile, U.S. adversaries are investing heavily in state-controlled biotechnology ecosystems in which AI and biodata infrastructure co-evolve. The United States now risks a future in which these adversaries control the means to feed, heal, and even defend U.S. citizens.
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Feb 13
And 2) the United States should build a cloud-based federal biodata portal that allows researchers to train AI models on protected data.
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Feb 13
We propose two solutions to reassert the United States’ biotechnology advantage.
1) the United State should commission biological datasets that are purpose-made for AI, rather than a traditional hypothesis-led research agenda.
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Feb 13
In this @just_security piece, Michelle Holko, John Wilbanks and I argue that access to biodata specifically designed for AI model development is key to U.S. biotechnology leadership in the twenty-first century.
justsecurity.org/130841/us-b…
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Feb 13
Existing U.S. biodata repositories are ill-prepared to meet the AI moment. The United States’ current biodata infrastructure lacks the diversity and structure needed for model development.
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Feb 13
But the United States cannot realize this potential without high-quality, secure biodata—the very foundation of AI models. In the age of AI, biodata is a strategic national asset comparable to semiconductors or critical minerals.
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Feb 13
AI promises to boost biotechnology innovation by enabling researchers to predict, design, and control biological systems, supercharging everything from drug discovery and diagnostics to bio-based materials and fuels.
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