R Street Institute Launches Cybersecurity-Artificial Intelligence Working Group 

Oct. 3, 2023 -- 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.

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“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)

About the R Street Institute

Founded in 2012, the R Street Institute is the leading think tank engaged in policy research in support of free markets and limited, effective government. We work to bolster American innovation, increase consumer choice and protect individual liberty and believe in smaller, smarter government. We are a think tank for the modern age. We focus on deep scholarship and pragmatic policy solutions that many groups tend to neglect. Our goal is to publish timely, relevant research and analysis that advances a market-oriented society and limited, effective government. To that end, our motto is: “Free Markets. Real Solutions.” Politically, we align with the center-right. Our work has real impact, even if it does not make headlines. We do this through building broad coalitions with Republicans, Democrats, conservatives, liberals and everyone in between. This makes us uniquely capable of earning cross-partisan consensus and helping win victories at all levels of government.

Source: William Gray, R Street Institute