From self-driving cars to cures for cancer to autonomous weapons systems, advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are shaping and disrupting our world at an ever-increasing rate. Consequently, many countries have set their sights on winning the “Global AI Race” and establishing the technological leadership needed to compete in economics and geopolitics. In this Fireside Chat, we will explore what it means to “win the AI race” and discuss how countries’ national AI strategies are helping them get ahead.
Our guest speaker is Gregory Dawson, Clinical Professor at the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. He was co-author of the report "Winners and losers in the fulfillment of national artificial intelligence aspirations" by the Brookings Institution.
The discussion will be moderated by Beth Sanner, Professor of Practice at the Applied Research Lab for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS) at the University of Maryland and former Deputy Director for National Intelligence.
About INFER
INFER is a forecasting program designed to generate valuable signals and early warning about the future of science and technology trends and high-risk geopolitical events for U.S. Government policymakers. INFER empowers its community of forecasters to have a direct impact on policy and decision-making. The public portion of INFER is one of multiple forecasting sites to be operated as part of this program.
INFER is run by the non-profit Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS) at the University of Maryland and Cultivate Labs. Funding for this program has been provided by a grant from Open Philanthropy.
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Gregory Dawson
Gregory Dawson is a Clinical Professor at the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. He teaches accounting analytics in the graduate and undergraduate platforms and has won teaching awards in several different programs. His research explores the legal, social, technical and public policy ramifications of the adoption of artificial intelligence in the public and private sector. He recently completed a series of articles on national artificial intelligence strategy documents, which was published in Brookings. His Ph.D. is from the University of Georgia, and he has been at ASU since 2008.
Prior to becoming an academic, he was a Partner in the Advisory Practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Washington, D.C. and Sacramento, California. He was also a Director in Gartner's State and Local Government consulting practice. He currently consults on advanced technology topics with a number of governmental entities in the U.S. and abroad.
Beth Sanner
For 35 years, Beth Sanner served in a wide range of leadership, staff, policy, and analytic positions in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Council, and the U.S. Department of State. She ended her government career in 2021, having served as the Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Mission Integration for two years, during which she oversaw collection, analysis, and program oversight throughout the Intelligence Community. In this role, she also was the President’s intelligence briefer. Previously Ms. Sanner was the Director of the President’s Daily Brief, Vice Chair of the National Intelligence Council, and a senior leader in CIA’s Directorate of Analysis. She is currently a senior fellow at Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, a professor-in-practice at University of Maryland’s Applied Research Lab for Intelligence and Security, and a CNN national security analyst.