Link to Recording
Details: On August 3, 2021, RSI will partner with the DoD's Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) and the Center for Naval Analysis (CNA) to present a dynamic webinar on recently published research on Russian advances in artificial intelligence. CNA Russia Study Program researchers Jeffery Edmonds and Samuel Bendett will brief key findings from their "Artificial Intelligence and Autonomy in Russia" report that was published this May and was sponsored by the JAIC.
Abstract:
As the Russian leadership attempts to come to terms with technology's impact on its military power and role in the world, artificial intelligence and autonomy stand out as an area of particular growth and potential for influence. The rapid pace of development in AI and autonomy across the globe and in Russia drives new developments and initiatives announced almost daily. It is critical that US national security policymakers consider that while Russia may not be a primary driver of AI innovation itself, it does prioritize investing in and capitalizing on developments in AI and autonomy.
Link to Report
Biographies
Speaker: Samuel Bendett
Samuel Bendett is an Adviser with CNA Strategy, Policy, Plans and Programs Center (SP3), where he is a member of the Russia Studies Program. He is also an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security. His work involves research on the Russian defense and technology developments, unmanned and autonomous military systems and Artificial Intelligence, as well as Russian military capabilities and decision-making during crises. He is a Member of CNA’s Center for Autonomy and Artificial Intelligence, and an honorary “Mad Scientist” with the USARMY TRADOC’s Mad Scientist Initiative. He is also a Russian military autonomy and AI SME for the DOD’s Defense Systems Information Analysis Center.Prior to joining CNA, Mr. Bendett worked at the National Defense University on emerging and disruptive technologies for the Department of Defense response in domestic and international crisis situations. His previous experience includes working for US Congress, private sector and non-profit organizations on foreign policy, international conflict resolution, defense and security issues.Mr. Bendett’s analyses, views and commentary on Russian military robotics, unmanned systems and Artificial Intelligence capabilities appear in the Forbes, C4ISRnet, DefenseOne, War on the Rocks, Breaking Defense, The National Interest and The Strategy Bridge. Between 2008 and 2016, he was a foreign policy and international affairs contributor to the RealClearWorld.com blog.Samuel Bendett received his M.A. in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School, Tufts University and B.A. in Politics and English from Brandeis University. He has native fluency in Russian.
Speaker: Jeffrey Edmonds
Jeffrey Edmonds is an expert on Russia and Eurasia. His research focuses on the Russian military, foreign policy, Russian threat perceptions, and Russian information and cyber operations.
Most recently, Edmonds served as the Director for Russia on the National Security Council and acting Senior Director for Russia during the 2017 presidential transition. While on the NSC, Edmonds advised the president and his senior staff on Russia-related national security topics including the Ukraine and Syria crises, Russian military, foreign policy, threat perceptions, and information operations. Edmonds was also the lead director during a review of the United States policy towards Russia, culminating in a presidentially approved strategy that had global impact.
Prior to the NSC, Edmonds served as a military analyst with the Central Intelligence Agency, covering Eurasian militaries. He has served in the U.S. Army on both active duty and the reserves for 22 years, with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Edmonds holds an M.P.A. from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, an M.A. from Boston University in Religious Studies, and a B.S. from the United States Military Academy at West Point. He has a working knowledge of Russian.
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