This Week in Washington IP: Balancing Interests in Tech Exports, Predictive Analytics in Criminal Justice and Energy Storage Innovation

This week in Washington IP events, it’s quiet on Capitol Hill as both the House of Representatives and the Senate enter work periods for the week following Monday’s Presidents’ Day holiday. However, the Center for Strategic & International Studies is hosting a series of events focused on situational awareness technologies for nuclear arms, the recent Privacy Framework from NIST and advances in energy storage technologies across the automotive and electrical grid industries. Elsewhere in DC, the Brookings Institution will explore issues involving the use of predictive AI analytics in the criminal justice system, and the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation will discuss balancing business and national security interests in U.S. foreign export policy. 

Tuesday, February 18

Center for Strategic & International Studies 

Decision-Making and Technology Under the Nuclear Shadow

At 1:00 PM on Tuesday at CSIS Headquarters, 2nd Floor, 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036.

While the U.S. has been able to enjoy global dominance in nuclear warfare preparedness as the technology in this sector has advanced over the past few decades, the number of foreign nations with nuclear capabilities has grown, increasing the chances of the U.S. being caught in an international nuclear conflict. Technologies for situational awareness thus become much more important for assessing the risk level of adversary actions while also reducing the risk of miscalculations leading towards unnecessary escalation. This event, part of CSIS’s Project on Nuclear Issues, will feature a discussion with a panel including Dr. Richard Jervis, Adlai E. Stevenson Professor of International Affairs, Columbia University; Dr. Peter Singer, Strategist and Senior Fellow, New America; Avril Haines, Deputy Director, Columbia World Projects and Former Deputy National Security Advisor and Deputy Director of the CIA; Rebecca Hersman, Director, Project on Nuclear Issues, and Senior Advisor, International Security Program, CSIS; Eric Brewer, Deputy Director and Fellow, Project on Nuclear Issues, International Security Program, CSIS; and Dr. Kathleen Hicks, Senior Vice President, Henry A. Kissinger Chair and Director, International Security Program, CSIS.

Wednesday, February 19 

Information Technology and Innovation Foundation

Controlling U.S. Tech Exports to China: How to Get It Right

At 10:00 AM on Wednesday at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, 700 K St. NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20001.

Traditionally, the use of export controls by the U.S. government has been focused on technologies that could threaten national security if they strengthen the capabilities of adversaries. However, the Trump Administration has broadened the application of export controls to many goods that have no relation to national security. Carefully balancing the national security interests behind export controls with the interests of technology developers who want to enter the export market is crucial to prevent government protectionism from negatively impacting American businesses. This event will feature a discussion with a panel including David Hanke, Partner, Arent Fox; John Neuffer, President and CEO, Semiconductor Industry Association; Kevin Wolf, Partner, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld; and moderated by Robert Atkinson, President, ITIF.

The Brookings Institution 

AI, Predictive Analytics, and Criminal Justice

At 10:00 AM on Wednesday at the Brookings Institution, Falk Auditorium, 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036.

Although scientific research has shown that artificial intelligence (AI) outperforms human beings when performing predictive analysis on the likelihood of former inmates getting arrested again after release from incarceration. On the other hand, these same AI technologies have raised concerns regarding the algorithms which they use and the potential that those algorithms have for reinforcing the structures of biases. This event, hosted by Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution, will feature a discussion with a panel including Sakira Cook, Program Director, Justice Reform, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; Edwina Dortch, Professor (Retired), Texas A&M University; Faye Taxman, University Professor and Director, Center for Advancing Correctional Excellence!, George Mason University; and moderated by Darrell West, Vice President and Director, Governance Studies and Founding Director, Center for Technology Innovation.

Center for Strategic & International Studies

A Conversation on the NIST Privacy Framework

At 2:00 PM on Wednesday at CSIS Headquarters.

In mid-January, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released Version 1.0 of a Privacy Framework which provides a set of guidelines that companies utilizing information technologies may voluntarily implement in order to improve their security against privacy risks exposing customer data and other sensitive information. This CSIS event will explore the flexibility and usefulness of the Privacy Framework and its effectiveness at protecting personal data at this point in time during the digital age. This event will begin with welcoming remarks from CSIS President and CEO Dr. John Hamre, followed by a keynote address delivered by Dr. Walter Copan, Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and NIST Director. The event will conclude with a discussion panel including Christina Montgomery, Chief Privacy Officer and Vice President, IBM; Chris Calabrese, Interim Co-CEO, Vice President for Policy, CDT; Naomi Lefkowitz, Senior Privacy Policy Advisor, NIST; Jason Matusow, General Manager for Corporate Standards, Microsoft; and moderated by Dr. James Lewis, Senior Vice President and Director, Technology Policy Program, CSIS.

Thursday, February 20

Center for Strategic & International Studies 

Innovation in Storage and Battery Technologies

At 8:30 AM on Thursday at CSIS Headquarters.

As battery technologies have advanced, commercial uses in the automotive and energy sectors have increased for reasons including reduced fossil fuel emissions and more cost-effective use of electricity drawn from the grid at non-peak activity hours. This event is the first in CSIS’ six-part Energy Innovation Series designed to improve understanding and encourage support for innovative developments in the energy industry. The event will start with a keynote address by Under Secretary of Energy for Science Paul Dabbar, followed by presentations from George Crabtree, Director, Joint Center for Energy Storage Research; Yet-Ming Chiang, Kyocera Professor, MIT Energy Initiative; and Justin Felt, Manager of Strategic Planning, Baltimore Gas & Electric.