Scowcroft Center Commentary, Analysis, & Reports

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GeoTech's Smart Partnerships report, image of a chessboard

In-Depth Research & Reports

Jan 12, 2021

Smart partnerships amid great power competition

By Mathew Burrows, Julian Mueller-Kaler

The report captures key takeaways from various roundtable conversations, identifies the challenges and opportunities that different regions of the world face when dealing with emerging technologies, and evaluates China’s role as a global citizen. In times of economic decoupling and rising geopolitical bipolarity, it highlights opportunities for smart partnerships, describes how data and AI applications can be harnessed for good, and develops scenarios on where an AI-powered world might be headed.

Africa Americas

GeoTech Cues

Jan 12, 2021

Cooperation in a bipolar world

By Mathew Burrows, Julian Mueller-Kaler

Taking into account China’s growing influence around the world, discussions often alluded to an uncomfortable truth: In order to avoid catastrophe, even rivals must cooperate, which is why participants, particularly at roundtables in Europe, were keen to identify a number of areas that could lower the tensions and help build trust among antagonistic stakeholders.

Africa China

GeoTech Cues

Jan 12, 2021

An unequal world

By Mathew Burrows, Julian Mueller-Kaler

An unequal world is probably the base case, exacerbated by the social and economic effects of the ongoing pandemic. In this future, emerging technologies have deepened divisions and inequalities instead of leveling the playing field domestically and internationally.

Africa China

GeoTech Cues

Jan 12, 2021

India’s quest for digital sovereignty

By Mathew Burrows, Julian Mueller-Kaler

Similar to Europe’s “Third Way Approach,” and in order to navigate between the US and the Chinese models, India is also trying to develop a concept of digital sovereignty, all the while mitigating negative externalities of great power competition.

Africa China

GeoTech Cues

Jan 12, 2021

Worries about AI externalities

By Mathew Burrows, Julian Mueller-Kaler

There is no doubt that emerging technologies have gained significant importance over the last couple of years, but a sense of caution is required when it comes to the hype surrounding AI. Technologies have so far remained a tool and their applications won’t be solving all of humanity’s problems anytime soon.

Africa China

GeoTech Cues

Jan 12, 2021

Technology for good

By Mathew Burrows, Julian Mueller-Kaler

By focusing on healthcare, food security and agriculture, education, or infrastructure, global AI competition could be given a very different spin, mitigating the rivalry aspect of politics. How modern technologies should be centered on serving those broader global interests was at the core of the discussions in the roundtable focused on Africa.

Africa China

GeoTech Cues

Jan 12, 2021

A bipolar world

By Mathew Burrows, Julian Mueller-Kaler

A Bipolar World is where Sino-US competition edges out any possibility of cooperation—not just on data and AI. Countries in Europe and Asia are forced to choose between Washington and Beijing while desperately trying to develop their own digital sovereignty.

Africa China

GeoTech Cues

Jan 12, 2021

A multilateral resurgence

By Mathew Burrows, Julian Mueller-Kaler

A multilateral resurgence is a world that evolves after significant Sino-US confrontations occur on the scale of the 1963 Cuban Missile Crisis. Post-pandemic, both the United States and China step back from the precipice, realizing that their unrestrained, full-spectrum competition with one another could lead to disaster and mutual destruction.

Africa Americas

GeoTech Cues

Jan 12, 2021

Third parties don’t want to choose sides

By Mathew Burrows, Julian Mueller-Kaler

Many worry about what could follow Pax Americana, especially since providing global security has always been a costly endeavor. A European Union (EU) approach was that Europe could serve as a bridge between the United States and China, somehow mitigating the ever-intensifying rivalry.

Africa China

GeoTech Cues

Jan 12, 2021

Europe’s hurdles

By Mathew Burrows, Julian Mueller-Kaler

Economists and technologists worried about Europe’s ability to reconcile privacy restrictions with a thriving tech economy. The logic is simple: In order to keep up, companies must be able to train AI systems with accessible data, which is why the EU has become more attuned to the need to facilitate data flows.

China Cybersecurity

GeoTech Cues

Jan 12, 2021

China’s ambiguity

By Mathew Burrows, Julian Mueller-Kaler

Speaking more broadly, interlocutors in Beijing emphasized that international cooperation has always been important to China’s economic development, alluding to the fact that the most successful innovations and AI advances often come from international research collaborations.

Africa China

GeoTech Cues

Jan 12, 2021

Smart partnerships for global challenges

By Mathew Burrows, Julian Mueller-Kaler

In order to give the global AI competition a different spin and emphasize the “technology for good” approach, it would be wise to highlight organizations that focus on AI applications in healthcare, education, food security and agriculture, or infrastructure endeavors, particularly in a post-Covid-19 recovery.

Africa China

NATO 20/2020

Jan 12, 2021

Build an Atlantic-Pacific partnership: NATO 20/2020 podcast

By Transatlantic Security Initative

NATO is the only institution capable of organizing transatlantic and transpacific stakeholders to address China’s political, military, and information threats.

Australia China

In the News

Jan 12, 2021

Ashford in BBC Mundo: “Uno de los grandes problemas es la idea de que Estados Unidos es un país excepcional”

By Atlantic Council

On January 12, Emma Ashford was interviewed by BBC Mundo, where she made the argument that an issue plaguing US policymaking was the persistent belief that the US is exceptional. More about our expert

Politics & Diplomacy Spanish

In the News

Jan 12, 2021

McInnis testifies for Senate Armed Services Committee on civilian-military balance

By Atlantic Council

On January 12, Scowcroft Center nonresident senior fellow Kathleen McInnis served as a witness at a Senate Armed Service Committee hearing on “Civilian Control of the Armed Forces.” In her testimony, McInnis concluded that the next Secretary of Defense must work with Congress to strengthen civilian control over the military.

Defense Policy National Security

In the News

Jan 12, 2021

Borghard in Power Problems: Shining a light on the SolarWinds hack

By Atlantic Council

On January 12, Erica Borghard participated in the Cato Institute’s Power Problems new podcast episode titled “Shining a Light on the SolarWinds Hack” hosted by John Glaseron and featuring Brandon Valeriano. Erica discussed the SolarWinds breach and how to understand the incident in light of the US cyber strategy and policy. “Did Russia commit a cyber […]

Cybersecurity Defense Policy

In the News

Jan 11, 2021

Cole’s “Ghost Fleet” featured in Task & Purpose’s list of military movie ideas

By Atlantic Council

On January 11, Forward Defense nonresident senior fellow August Cole was featured in an article in Task & Purpose on new ideas for military movies.

Media Security & Defense

In the News

Jan 11, 2021

Busch in The Hill: The promise of AfCFTA

By Marc L. Busch

Marc Busch writes that the African Continental Free Trade Area offers an ambitious promise but needs substantially more work to achieve success and importantly complement the WTO.

Africa Economy & Business

In the News

Jan 10, 2021

Ashford quoted in The Atlantic: How can the United States spread democracy or act as an example for others if it barely has a functioning democracy at home?

By Atlantic Council

On January 10, Emma Ashford’s was quoted in Thomas Wright’s article in The Atlantic entitled “The U.S. Must Now Repair Democracy at Home and Abroad.” More about our expert

Democratic Transitions Political Reform

In the News

Jan 10, 2021

Warrick interviewed on Government Matters on security risks of Capitol attack

By Atlantic Council

Forward Defense and Hariri Center non-resident senior fellow Thomas Warrick was interviewed on "Government Matters" on the security implications of the January 6th attack on the United States Capitol.

Crisis Management Cybersecurity
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