Preparing for Great Power Competition in AI and Intelligence
A Virtual Briefing
Wednesday, March 2, 2022, 1:30-2:30pm EST
This discussion will cover the promise of AI, the growing importance of Open Source to the Intelligence Mission, the opportunities for application of AI to Open Source, and the challenges the IC must overcome to accelerate integration of AI to the mission.
About the Experts
Emily Harding, Deputy Director and Senior Fellow for the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
Emily Harding joined CSIS from the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI), where she was deputy staff director. In her nearly 20 years of government service, she has served in a series of high-profile national security positions at critical moments. While working for SSCI, she led the Committee’s multi-year investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 elections. During her tenure on the Committee, she oversaw the activities of 18 intelligence agencies and led SSCI staff in drafting legislation, conducting oversight of the intelligence community, and developing their expertise in intelligence community matters. She began her career as a leadership analyst at CIA, and then became a manager of analysts and analytic programs. She led the Iraq Group during the attempted Islamic State takeover of Iraq and Syria and led a multidisciplinary group of analysts working crises worldwide, drawing from many perspectives to provide rich analysis to policymakers. During a tour at the National Security Council, she served as executive assistant to the deputy national security adviser for global democracy strategy and then as director for Iran, where she led interagency efforts to create innovative policies drawing on all elements of national power. After leaving the White House, she served on a team running the first Office of the Director of National Intelligence-led presidential transition, where she was responsible for liaising with both campaigns and briefing the incoming administration on a wide range of intelligence topics. Harding holds a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and a bachelor’s degree in foreign affairs from the University of Virginia.
Cynthia Strand, Global Intelligence Strategy Lead at Primer
Cynthia Strand joined Primer in March 2021 to lead their Global Intelligence Strategy, bringing 35 years of intelligence expertise from her career at the CIA, where she served as Deputy Assistant Director for Global Issues. At Primer, Cynthia is focused on the Five Eyes Alliance and delivering capabilities that meet mission requirements and facilitate collaboration among the partners.