The Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) is a think tank dedicated to policy analysis at the intersection of national and international security and emerging technologies. CSET’s founder and director is Jason Gaverick Matheny.^[1] CSET is the largest AI policy research center in the United States.^[2]

History

CSET was established in January 2019 with a $55 million grant from Open Philanthropy.^[3] Its mission is to study the security impacts of emerging technologies, support the academic work in security and technology studies, and deliver nonpartisan analysis to the policy community. For its first two years, CSET plans to focus on the intersection of security and artificial intelligence, particularly on national competitiveness, talent and knowledge flows and relationships with other technologies.

As of July 2022, CSET has grown to more than 50 full-time staff. Thanks to an increase by more than $50 million of their original Open Philanthropy grant,^[4] their total available funding for the following five years is in excess of $100 million.^[5]

Evaluation

CSET is one of the four organizations recommended by Founders Pledge in their cause report on safeguarding the long-term future.^[6]

Further reading

Center for Security and Emerging Technology (2020) About us, Center for Security and Emerging Technology.

Georgetown University (2019a) Largest U.S. center on artificial intelligence, policy comes to Georgetown, Georgetown University, February 28.

Georgetown University (2019b) Q&A with Jason Matheny, founding director of the new Center for Security and Emerging Technology, Georgetown University, February 28.

Wiblin, Robert & Keiran Harris (2019) The new 30-person research group in DC investigating how emerging technologies could affect national security, 80,000 Hours, July 17.
An interview with Helen Toner, CSET’s Director of Strategy.

External links

Center for Security and Emerging Technology. Official website.

Apply for a job.

Related entries

AI governance | think tanks

1. ^

   Anderson, Nick (2019) Georgetown launches think tank on security and emerging technology, The Washington Post, February 28.

2. ^

   Institute for Technology Law & Policy (2019) Georgetown launches new $55 million center on security & emerging technology, Institute for Technology Law & Policy, February 28.

3. ^

   Muehlhauser, Luke (2019) Georgetown University — Center for Security and Emerging Technology, Open Philanthropy.

4. ^

   Open Philanthropy (2022) Grants database: Center for Security and Emerging Technology, Open Philanthropy.

5. ^

   Center for Security and Emerging Technology (2021) New grant agreement boosts CSET Funding to more than $100 million over five years, Center for Security and Emerging Technology, August 25.

6. ^

   Halstead, John (2019) Safeguarding the future cause area report, Founders Pledge, January (updated December 2020).