In front of a packed William J. Burns Auditorium of tech diplomats in the Harry S Truman Building, Feb. 25, Dr. Condoleezza Rice, the 66th U.S. secretary of state, explained the central role of emerging technologies in the future of U.S. statecraft.
“We have to win this race,” Rice stated, “because if you think about a democracy, we have the guardrails. … We can’t afford to have these transformative technologies pioneered by authoritarian regimes.”
Rice’s visit launched the second edition of the Stanford Emerging Technology Review, a comprehensive evaluation of 10 critical and emerging technology issues. Acting Special Envoy for Critical and Emerging Technology Dr. Seth Center moderated the discussion with Rice, Dr. Fei-Fei Li, Dr. Amy Zegart, Dr. Allison Okamura, Dr. Herb Lin, and Dr. Mark Horowitz to discuss the report’s key themes.
Rice expressed her gratitude to Department of State personnel for their dedication to America’s interests and values and emphasized the importance of bridging the gap between technological advancements and policymaking. She outlined three missions for diplomats: mobilizing fellow innovation partners, countering regulatory pressures, and including the developing world in the technology revolution.
Li, a world-leading artificial intelligence (AI) expert, discussed AI’s horizontal and empowering nature, stressing its potential to revolutionize various industries, including agriculture, education, and health care.
“AI is fundamentally the new computing,” Li explained. “Anywhere there is a chip, there is or will be AI because AI is the new way of computing with data.”
Zegart addressed the organizational strength needed in the U.S. government to advance technology leadership. She identified the need for a robust innovation ecosystem, including the investment in fundamental research and the importance of maintaining a strong partnership between universities and the government.
“Knowledge power is the power of this geopolitical moment in a way it has never been before,” Zegart said. “If you want to see what countries are likely to be the most powerful in the future, follow the knowledge power map.”
Rice stressed the importance of setting global standards and norms, creating the conditions for U.S. technologies to thrive, and preventing authoritarian regimes from dominating the technological landscape. Zegart also noted, “The State Department is an essential piece of that puzzle.”
Department personnel interested in learning more about critical and emerging technology are encouraged to take Emerging Technology in National Security at the Foreign Service Institute, which will be offered June 23-27 (PE337), or the one-day version for senior leaders, which will be offered on June 17 (PE904). The course for Cyberspace and Digital Policy Tradecraft (PE231) is also offered several times per year.
The full report from Stanford can be found in State Magazine
Justin Reynolds is the director for tech policy in the Office of the Special Envoy for Critical and Emerging Technology with StateChat.
Source: State Magazine