The Berkeley Risk and Security Laboratory: Emerging Technologies and International Security
Andrew Reddie, Professor
Public Policy
Applications for Fall 2024 are closed for this project.
1. The Emergent Properties of Frontier Military Technologies
Our scholars are deeply invested in understanding how new technologies—from dual-use technologies to those designed for military applications—might impact strategic stability and the prospects for international peace and security.
Projects in this portfolio include research on whether the deployment of low-yield nuclear weapons has stabilizing or destabilizing consequences, the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning in military systems, cyber-attacks (across attack vectors and used by a variety of actors), and hypersonic weapons.
2. Emerging Technologies, Governance, and Regulation
Amid continued uncertainty as to the viability of current efforts to create multilateral governance regimes to address emerging technologies via UN processes (e.g., the Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons) and bilateral governance mechanisms (e.g. New START) after 2026, this research area examines the viability of future governance regimes to address the risks posed by emerging technologies—from cyber weapons to narrow applications of artificial intelligence systems (e.g., early warning systems, decision support tools, and dead hand systems).
Specifically, this area includes research on norms-based frameworks and confidence-building measures for emerging technologies, the future of nuclear arms control, technological solutions to governance failures, and the use of legislation and executive action to control the proliferation of emerging technologies via export control regimes.
3. Innovation Networks in an Era of Strategic Competition
As well as analyzing and creating model frameworks to manage the security risks outlined above, we also examine the causes of the existential threats facing the United States and the globe—not least the impact of government efforts to drive innovation in their respective economies.
There are a variety of policy levers at the disposal of governments across the globe to shape their domestic markets and foster innovation with downstream consequences for international relations—from human capital development programs to foreign direct investment to export control regimes. Our work within this research area seeks to understand how governments choose which levers to pull in terms of trade and investment policy and what the predictors for intervention are.
Students will work closely with BRSL founder and faculty director Prof. Andrew Reddie, as well as the BRSL staff and BRSL’s network of non-resident fellows.
Role: BRSL Research Assistants will work on one of BRSL’s main research pillars (listed above). They can expect to conduct research, contribute to literature reviews, collect data on project-related topics, aid in administrative tasks related to their projects, and take notes during project-relevant meetings, interviews, and workshops.
Qualifications: BRSL is seeking Research Assistants with strong writing and analytical skills, excellent research skills (e.g., familiarity with R), and a strong interest in national security, international security, technology policy, or industrial policy. Previous relevant work/internship experience is appreciated but not expected.
Students with research-level foreign language skills should note these on their applications.
Day-to-day supervisor for this project: Leah Walker
Hours: 6-8 hrs
Related website: http://brsl.berkeley.edu