Abstract: As one who comes from the government side of the “industry/academia/government triangle,” the continuing shift in both AI talent and research and development (R&D) toward industry and away from the other two I believe is creating challenges that are increasingly difficult to overcome. This is even more sharp when looking at it through the lens of national security, especially when trying to mobilize large government institutions in adopting emerging technologies like AI. How the government can use policies to build up talent and encourage greater cooperation with industry and with academia is the focus of this talk.

Biography: Mark Seip is director for strategic development at the MITRE Corporation’s Center for Data-Driven Policy and an adjunct professor in the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. A retired naval officer, aviator, and strategist, he previously served as the Navy Advisor to the Defense Department’s Office of Net Assessment, responsible for exploring emerging trends in technology and concepts and their impact on future warfare. He currently leads a similar effort at MITRE and teaches the intersection of AI and national security at Georgetown. Mark holds a master’s in public relations and corporate communication from Georgetown and a bachelor’s in international politics from Penn State University.