The Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy and Technology (CMIST) translates research into actionable insights, informing policymakers and shaping the global conversation on war, peace, and emerging technology.
As a cross-university meeting place, CMIST offers a balanced perspective on critical debates around new technologies and their impact on security and policy. Leveraging CMU’s cutting-edge research in fields such as machine learning, robotics, and human-computer interaction, our multidisciplinary team of social scientists delivers expert analyses on the ethical, social, political, and economic implications of new and emerging technologies. Our researchers adopt a fresh approach to understanding how emerging technologies influence war and peace, and how best to harness their potential to create a more stable, equitable world.
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENTS
| FALL 2024 | ||||
| Date | Time | Event & Registration | Speaker(s) | Location |
| Thurs, 9/12/2024 | 5:00-6:15 PM | Lawfully Speaking - Promise and Peril: The Next Ten Years of National Security AI and its Regulation | The Honorable Judge James E. Baker | Posner Grand Room (340), CMU |
| Thurs, 9/19/2024 | 5:00-6:30 PM | Scientists & Strategists - Securing Tomorrow: U.S. Industrial Strategy, Security, and the Clean Energy Transition | Harry Krejsa and Costa Samaras | Posner Grand Room (340), CMU |
| Wed, 9/25/2024 | 3:30-4:15 PM | Conversations with Senior Leaders: Dr. Stacey A. Dixon, Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence (PDDNI) | Dr. Stacey A. Dixon and Audrey Kurth Cronin | Rachel Mellon Walton Room, Posner, CMU |
| Fri, 9/27/2024 | 11:00 AM-12:15 PM | Celebrating CMIST: Pathways to Public Service | Ambassador Nathaniel C. Fick and Audrey Kurth Cronin | Posner Grand Room (340), CMU |
| Thurs, 10/10/2024 | 5:00-6:30 PM | Dr. T.X. Hammes and Dr. Jeff Schneider | Posner Grand Room (340), CMU | |
| Mon, 10/28/2024 | 5:00-6:30 PM | CMU Deeper Conversations - Cyber-Enabled Nation-State Influence Operations: Are Russia, China and Iran Interfering in the U.S. Election? | Panelists: Bret Schafer, Bryan Prior, Darren Linvill; Moderator: Audrey Kurth Cronin | Simmons A, Tepper Building, CMU |
Scientists & Strategists
Each semester, our Scientists and Strategists speaker series brings in experts on international relations, STEM, and national and international security to lead engaging and nuanced discussions surrounding the most pressing topics of our time. For example, in spring 2024, we covered topics ranging from the structure of political debates surrounding new technologies, to how increasingly accessible lethal technologies are changing the geopolitical landscape, to how to identify (and combat) unconscious bias and gender inequities in STEM. We are keeping these critical conversations going this fall 2024 with discussions on the strategy and security impacts in the clean energy transition, as well as the dynamics between technology and human agency in the shifting nature of armed conflict. In the meantime, catch up on the recordings from past speakers.
Renowned journalist and author Kate Zernike discusses her captivating book, The Exceptions: Nancy Hopkins and the Fight for Women in Science. Zernike explores the true story of Dr. Nancy Hopkins, a brilliant scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) who led a group of sixteen female faculty members in collective action that ultimately resulted in MIT's historic admission of discrimination against women in the male-dominated field of science. Zernike engrosses the audience with a national conversation about unconscious bias and gender inequities in STEM.
For over half a century, the language we have used to identify and govern security concerns in science and technology has often revolved around the term "dual use." The term, however, has substantial limitations that hinder our ability to even see, let alone govern, security concerns in today’s geopolitical, social, and technical environments. Dr. Sam Weiss Evans outlines the reasons why the term has such purchase with a wide range of governing mechanisms today, provides examples of its limitations, sketches some alternatives, and explores how changes in language can be part of a bigger shift in security governance.
Dr. Sarah Percy discusses the historic role of women in combat, the subject of her recent book, Forgotten Warriors: The Long History of Women in Combat. From Boudicca’s rebellion to the war in Ukraine, battlefields have always contained a surprising number of women. Some formed all-female armies; some fought disguised as men; some mobilized in times of national survival. International relations expert Percy unearths the stories of these forgotten warriors, setting the historical record straight and revealing that women’s exclusion from active combat is a blip in a much longer narrative of female inclusion.
Based on her award-winning book, Power to the People: How Open Technological Innovation is Arming Tomorrow's Terrorists, Dr. Audrey Kurth Cronin discusses how individuals and small groups have shared and used accessible lethal technology in the past, and how they are likely to do so in the future. The diffusion of modern technologies--digital media, robotics, additive manufacturing, synthetic biology, autonomous systems, machine learning, and artificial intelligence--makes them accessible to a broader range of people, and that alters war. The evolution of conflict is changing and we must adapt.
Boomers, Doomers, and the Politics of Technology
Dr. Sarah Kreps examines debates about the speed and impact of the most disruptive and influential technologies or technological trends since nuclear weapons--nuclear weapons themselves, social media, AI, crypto, and commercial space like SpaceX. In debates about new technologies, boomers develop technologies that they believe will deliver benefits and doomers fear the catastrophic consequences of these technologies. Kreps's analysis reveals patterns that explore the divide of theory and practice and lead to an optimistic assessment about the past, present, and future of tech governance.
Lawfully Speaking
To complement its new American Politics and Law minor, CMIST launched Lawfully Speaking: A Forum on Law & Ethics in the spring of 2024. This lecture series fosters open dialogue on legal and ethical issues, offering a learning environment for those curious about the intersection of law and ethics. The debut lecture was delivered by well-known international lawyer John Bellinger, who currently handles a range of cutting-edge international legal dilemmas — from questions of state sovereignty to laws of war and trade disputes.
In his lecture, Who’s Afraid of International Law? Why the Senate is Approving Fewer Treaties, Mr. Bellinger discussed why Presidents are entering into more international agreements that do not require Senate approval.
In our fall 2024 installment of Lawfully Speaking, the Honorable Judge James E. Baker discussed the future of artificial intelligence (AI) regulation and national security in his presentation entitled Promise and Peril: The Next Ten Years of National Security AI and its Regulation.
Conversations with Senior Leaders
Conversations with Senior Leaders is a speaker series hosted by CMIST that provides a unique platform for emerging leaders to gain insights from seasoned professionals in the fields of national security and technology. Our series brings together distinguished figures who have made significant contributions to their respective fields, providing invaluable perspectives on leadership, strategy, and the challenges and opportunities facing our world today. The events provide insights into the strategic thinking and decision-making processes that have shaped their illustrious careers. During these candid discussions, these leaders share their leadership philosophies, strategies for success, and hard-earned lessons learned, offering invaluable guidance to those seeking to navigate complex challenges and achieve their own professional goals.
General Laura Richardson and Lieutenant General Jim Richardson offer insights into their esteemed careers, navigating married life in the military, and the art of turning challenges into opportunities.
Audrey Kurth Cronin
CMIST Director; Trustees Professor of Security and Technology
Laura J. Richardson
United States Army General
Commander, U.S. Southern Command
Jim Richardson
Retired, United States Army Lieutenant General; CMU Distinguished Executive in Residence
Lieutenant General Jim Richardson shares what he’s learned in his career, his thoughts on future technology challenges, and what's next at The Army Artificial Intelligence Integration Center (AI2C).
Audrey Kurth Cronin
CMIST Director; Trustees Professor of Security and Technology
Jim Richardson
Retired, United States Army Lieutenant General; CMU Distinguished Executive in Residence
Admiral James Foggo discusses the origins of his naval career, what submarine life is really like, and his thoughts on evolving perceptions on artificial intelligence and unmanned systems.
Patrick Cronin
CMIST Scholar in Residence
Asia-Pacific Security Chair, Hudson Institute
James Foggo
Dean, Center for Maritime Strategy of the Navy League; Retired, Admiral U.S. Navy
Introduction by: Audrey Kurth Cronin, CMIST Director; Trustees Professor of Security and Technology
OUR WORK
Australian Outlook
Diplomatic Double Standards: The Sexism a President Kamala Harris Would Face
By Christopher W. Blair and Joshua A. Schwartz
Good Authority
’House of the Dragon’ Tells Us to Worry about More than Dragons
By Nadiya Kostyuk and Joshua Schwartz
Foreign Affairs
How Hamas Ends: A Strategy for Letting the Group Defeat Itself
By Audrey Kurth Cronin
The National Interest
Will Artificial Intelligence Lead to War?
By Patrick M. Cronin and Audrey Kurth Cronin
Modern War Institute
What Iran's Drone Attack Portends for the Future of Warfare
By Joshua A. Schwartz
Foreign Affairs
Hamas’s Asymmetric Advantage: What Does It Mean to Defeat a
Terrorist Group?
By Audrey Kurth Cronin
The National Interest
Is North Korea Getting Ready for War? No, and the Reason Is Obvious
By Patrick M. Cronin
Previous Work:
2024
Schwartz, Joshua A and Christopher Blair. "Why More Female Leaders Won't Lead to More Peace." Lawfare, March 17, 2024
Cronin, Patrick. "What to Make of Kim Jong Un’s Latest Threats of War." The Messenger, January 5, 2024.
2023
Bartos, Haleigh and John Chin. "What Israel Can Learn from U.S. Intelligence Failures." The National Interest, December 31, 2023.
Cronin, Patrick. "North Korea-Russia Cooperation Will Further Deteriorate World Order." The Messenger, December 15, 2023.
Silverman, Dan. "Decolonizing Israel-Palestine is a Dangerous Delusion." The National Interest, December 12, 2023.
Chin, John Joseph and Haleigh Bartos. "How New Reports Reveal Israeli Intelligence Underestimated Hamas and Other Key Weaknesses." The Conversation, December 7, 2023.
Spagat, Michael and Daniel Silverman. "Who and How Many People are Getting Killed in Gaza?" AOAV, November 1, 2023.
Bartos, Haleigh and John Chin. "What Went Wrong? Three Hypotheses on Israel's Massive Intelligence Failure." Modern War Institute, October 31, 2023.
Cronin, Audrey Kurth. "How Israel Can Win: Defeating Hamas Will Require a Strategy That Goes Beyond Revenge." Foreign Affairs Magazine, October 15, 2023.
Bartos, Haleigh and John Chin. "Biden's Africa Policy Trilemma." The Duck of Minerva, October 12, 2023.
Cronin, Patrick M. "Failure to Launch: The Problem With the Putin-Kim Strategy." The Messenger, September 15, 2023.
Fischhoff, Baruch, Steven Woloshin, Tamar Krishnamurti, and Barry Dewitt. "Patients might finally receive practical information with prescriptions — if the FDA doesn’t blow it." STAT, September 12, 2023.
Cronin, Audrey Kurth. "Open Source Technology and Public-Private Innovation Are the Key to Ukraine's Strategic Resilience." War on the Rocks, August 25, 2023.
Arana, Igancio and Carolina Guerrero. "Guatemala’s Elections Could Give the Presidency to Another Former First Lady." Latinoamérica21, August 19, 2023.
Cronin, Patrick M. "The Promise of Camp David: Trilateral Summit is a Watershed for Asian Security." The National Interest, August 16, 2023.
Cronin, Patrick M. "US soldier Travis King's Mad, Doomed Dash to North Korea." New York Post, July 19, 2023.
Cronin, Audrey Kurth. "United States and China are Taking Opposite Approaches to AI." Fox News, July 18, 2023.
Media Mentions
Additional Media Mentions:
2024
- Audrey Kurth Cronin via Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Diplomats from the U.S., Switzerland and Costa Rica Meet in Pittsburgh to Discuss New Tech and Ethics, 9/27/2024
- Jonathan Cervas via Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Curiosity and Controversy: The Political Mood on College Campuses in Pittsburgh, 9/19/2024
- Audrey Kurth Cronin via Mirage, King's, Partners Hold Key Global Security Talks in D.C, 9/19/2024
- Jonathan Cervas via State Affairs, NCSL: Experts Say Start Building 2030 Redistricting Checklist Now, 8/7/2024
- Jonathan Cervas via France24, Biden, Trump Battle for Blue-Collar Voters as Steel Merger Looms, 6/29/2024
- Kathleen Carley via Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Increase in False Online Content Spurs Need for New Detection Tools, 6/22/2024
- Patrick M. Cronin via International Business Times, US-Japan-Philippines Alliance: A Trio With Bitter Past Now Threatens China's Maritime Ambitions, 4/30/2024
- Daniel Silverman via Nautilus, The Age of Rebellion: The Surprising Relationship Between Age and Success in Rebellions, 4/23/2024
- Audrey Kurth Cronin via The Atlantic, U.S. Support for Israel’s War Has Become Indefensible, 3/26/2024
- Audrey Kurth Cronin via The New York Times, What Would You Have Israel Do to Defend Itself?, 3/24/2024
- Jonathan Cervas via New York Daily News, Leave the Maps Alone: N.Y. Congressional Districts Should Stay About the Same, 2/16/2024
- Audrey Kurth Cronin via Just Security, How Israel Took the Terrorists’ Bait, 2/13/2024
- Kathleen Carley via WION, China’s Massive Bot Army Battled with US on X in Clash over Spy Balloons in 2023: Study, 2/5/2024
- Kathleen Carley via New Scientist, Armies of Bots Battled on Twitter over Chinese Spy Balloon Incident, 2/2/2024
- Jonathan Cervas via Wisconsin Public Radio, Wisconsin Supreme Court Consultants Say Republican-Drawn Legislative Maps Are Gerrymanders, Don’t Deserve Consideration, 2/1/2024
- Jonathan Cervas via Associated Press, Wisconsin Redistricting Experts tell Supreme Court Republican Map Proposals Are Gerrymanders, 2/1/2024
- Kathleen Carley via The Hill, Fake Biden Robocall ‘Tip of the Iceberg’ for AI Election Misinformation, 1/24/2024
- Baruch Fischhoff via Pscyhology Today, Risk Is Influenced by Conscious and Subconscious Decisions, 1/3/2024
- Jonathan Cervas via Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, What to Know About Bernard Grofman and Jonathan Cervas, Wisconsin's New Map Consultants, 1/2/2024
2023
- Daniel Silverman via The Canberra Times, 'Fake News' Claims Open Up New Front in Middle East War, 12/10/2023
- Audrey Kurth Cronin via El Pais, Elon Musk, Greeted in Israel as A Head of State: The Geopolitics of Big Tech, 11/28/2023
- Jonathan Cervas via Mid Hudson News, State’s Highest Court Hears Congressional Redistricting Case, 11/19/2023
- Daniel Silverman via CBC News, The Challenges of Counting the Dead in the Ongoing Israel-Hamas War, 11/18/2023
- Jonathan Cervas via Warwick Daily Dispatch, New York’s Top Court to Make Redistricting Decision with National Implications, 11/16/2023
- Jonathan Cervas via NY Daily News, Leave the Maps Alone: The NY Court of Appeals Should Be Hands Off on Redistricting, 11/15/2023
- Jonathan Cervas via Bloomberg Law, New York Redistricting Case Gives Democrats Hope for 2024 Gains, 11/14/2023
- Audrey Kurth Cronin via The Christian Science Monitor, Ukraine’s Creativity Edge, 11/13/2023
- Patrick M. Cronin via International Business Times, China Is 'Schooling' Ottawa By Intimidating Canadian Aircraft In South China Sea: Expert, 11/6/2023
- Patrick M. Cronin via Yonhap News Agency, Middle East Instability, Russia's War Raise Questions Over U.S. Ability to Address Multiple Crises, 11/3/2023
- Audrey Kurth Cronin via Outside the Beltway, What Should Israel Do if Not This?, 11/2/2023
- Audrey Kurth Cronin via FLYING Magazine, Ukraine Readies to Produce ‘Dozens of Thousands’ of Drones Per Month, 10/30/2023
- Baruch Fischhoff via The Washington Post, Let’s Stop Insulting Each Other as ‘Anti-Science’, 10/24/2023
- Audrey Kurth Cronin via Vox, What Israel Should Do Now, 10/20/2023
- Daniel Silverman via NPR, Fake Accounts, Old Videos and rumors Fuel Chaos Around Gaza Hospital Explosion, 10/19/2023
- Audrey Kurth Cronin via POLITICO, The Many Tech Fronts in the Middle East, 10/16/2023
- Audrey Kurth Cronin via FLYING Magazine, Deadly Siege Marks Hamas’ Effective Use of Combat Drone Swarm, 10/10/2023
- John Chin via DW, Africa's Wave of Coups Stokes Fears Among Autocrats, 9/7/2023
- William Marcellino via WIRED, The Generative AI Boom Could Fuel a New International Arms Race, 9/7/2023
- Jonathan Cervas via The Guardian, How Alabama is Defying the Supreme Court to Discriminate Against Black Voters, 9/1/2023
- Jonathan Cervas via Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Strange Bedfellows: Primary Loss Forces Zappala to Forge Unconventional Alliances, 8/19/2023
- Baruch Fischhoff via NBC News, Extreme Disasters are Overwhelming Safety Systems Not Designed for Climate-Fueled Events, 8/16/2023
PODCASTS
The Foreign Affairs Interview
The Middle East’s Dangerous Escalation: A Conversation With Audrey Kurth Cronin, Marc Lynch, Dennis Ross, and Dana Stroul
Podcast Guest: Audrey Kurth Cronin
Berlin Security Beat
The Cyber Dimension of the Russian Full-Scale Invasion of Ukraine
Podcast guest: Nadiya Kostyuk
PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS
Professional Education
- Expert Faculty: Learn from industry experts, accomplished practitioners, and thought leaders who bring real-world insights to each course.
- Customized Learning Curriculum: Tailor education courses with a curriculum that aligns with specific career goals and organizational needs.
- Global Network: Join a vibrant community of professionals, fostering valuable connections and collaborations across industries and geographies.
- Practical Application: Our courses emphasize practical application, ensuring that you can immediately apply your newfound knowledge and skills in your professional life.
Interested in creating an executive education program?
Contact CMIST Deputy Director for Security Policy Studies, Dr. Ralph López.Military Fellows Program
Since its inception in 2015, the Military Fellows Program at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) has welcomed service members from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard who bring their wealth of experience as seasoned leaders to the academic environment. Our fellows spend their time at CMU researching, engaging with faculty and scholars, participating in conferences, experiencing cutting-edge simulations, networking across the campus community, and providing mentorship to our students. The goal is to bring accomplished military and national security leaders to campus to harness the intellectually rich opportunities at CMU and study the wide-ranging implications of technological innovations for domestic and international security.
2024-2025 Cohort
Lieutenant Colonel Michael A. Duval, US Army War College Fellow
Commander Heather Thomas, US Navy Federal Executive Fellow
Captain M. Scott Austin, US Coast Guard Fellow
Major Ronisha M. Carter, US Air Force National Defense Fellow
2023-2024 Cohort
Lieutenant Colonel Dan Zisa, US Army War College Fellow
Lieutenant Commander Pratiksha Patel, US Navy Fellow
Commander Kenneth Sauerbrunn, US Coast Guard Fellow
Major Bridget Pantaelon, US Air Force National Defense Fellow
2022-2023 Cohort
- Research: Moving Towards a Secure Enterprise Data Analytics Solution
- Alumni update: Promoted to Colonel
Captain Robert Woodruff, US Navy Fellow
2021-2022 Cohort
- Research: Preparing the Service for the use, implementation, and application of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
- Alumni update: Military Professor & Senior Service Advisor Joint Military Operations Department; US Naval War College
Commander Kimberley Manuel, US Navy Fellow
- Research: Russia’s Winning Move
Lieutenant Colonel Steve Curtis, US Army War College Fellow
- Research: The impact of innovation on intelligence and necessary adaptation between now and 2035; the paper will cover broad implications, but drill down four themes on how we collect, and protect, information in the future.
2020-2021 Cohort
Commander Clinton Christofk, US Navy Fellow
- Research: Investing in Asymmetry: Battle Force 2045 and Maintaining Undersea Dominance
Colonel Michael Needham, US Army War College Fellow
2019-2020 Cohort
Lieutenant Commander Eren D. Cataloglu, US Navy Fellow
Lieutenant Colonel Mark Zais, US Army War College Fellow
- Research: First Place in 2020 Department of Defense, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff National Defense Strategy Paper Award.
- Alumni update:
- Integration Innovation, Inc.; Senior Technologist (Data Science), Aug 2022-PRESENT
- USSOCOM · Full-time USSOCOM · Full-time Jun 2020 - Jun 2022; Chief Data Scientist
2018-2019 Fellow
Lieutenant Colonel Daniel C. Wood, US Army War College Fellow
- Research: The DoD’s Pursuit of Artificial Intelligence: A Strategic Risk-Cost-Benefit Analysis
2017-2018 Fellow
Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan W. Hughes, US Army War College Fellow
- Research: Countering Russia in the Gray Zone: A Case for AI
2016-2017 Fellow
Colonel Harold L. La Rock, II, US Army War College Fellow
- Research: Improving Strategic Risk Assessment and Communication
2015-2016 Fellow
Colonel Mary Lou Hall, US Army War College Fellow
- Research: System 3: Artificial Intelligence in Decision Making
- Alumni Update:
- Chief Data Scientist, Directorate for Analysis, Defense Intelligence Agency
- US Army, Director, Program, Budget and Acquisition, Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, May 2019-Oct 2021
- Chief Data Scientist, Defense Portfolio, Accenture Federal Services · Oct 2021
(L to R: Colonel Retired Ralph López, Lieutenant Colonel Mike Duval, Captain Matthew Scott Austin, Major Ronisha Carter, Explosive Ordnance Disposal First Class Nick Albarracin, and Commander Heather Thomas)TEAM OF TEAMS
