Compiled by Athena Smith.
Articles
How Export Controls Can—and Cannot—Reduce the Risks of Open-Weight Models
Joe Khawam argued that U.S. export controls can meaningfully reduce the risks of open-weight artificial intelligence (AI), but only at particular chokepoints like the supply of computing power and services that help users customize models. Khawam explained that when the government seeks to control AI model weights themselves, they face legal and practical obstacles.
Open-weight models are likely to remain widely available regardless of U.S. policy. They are also likely to present an enduring governance challenge given the complex factors described in this article. The U.S. government would therefore be wise to anticipate how open-weight AI is likely to develop over the coming years and understand what its existing tools can and cannot do before the next perceived crisis forces it to improvise again.
Changing China’s Cyber Calculus
Adam Segal and Matt Ferren warned that amid attention on recent Iran-back cyber operations, the People’s Republic of China poses a longer-term and more strategic cybersecurity threat to U.S. critical infrastructure. The authors noted that the U.S. requires stronger domestic defenses and must disrupt Chinese cyber operations while applying economic and diplomatic pressure.
Given the strategic and political advantages pre-positioning creates for Beijing, restoring balance in the cyber domain is an urgent national security and foreign policy priority. In the short term, U.S. policymakers should revisit the potential for diplomatic measures, economic sanctions, declaratory statements, or some combination of the three to shape Chinese behavior and limit Beijing’s willingness to fully weaponize its capabilities.
Podcasts
Lawfare Daily: The Policy Implications of the AI Vibe Shift:Kevin Frazier sat down with Alex Bores, Nat Purser, and Mackenzie Arnold to discuss recent developments in the AI risk environment, what led us here, what comes next for domestic and AI foreign policy, and more.
Scaling Laws: Child Safety AI Policy at Scale with Vaishnavi J and Dave Willner:Kevin Frazier sat down with Dave Willner and Vaishnavi J. to discuss how AI is affecting younger users, why existing child-safety responses are often inadequate, and the open-source teen self-harm and suicidal ideation policies they have developed.
Videos and Webinars
** Deportation, Inc. Chapter 2: Removal:** The latest episode of “Deportation, Inc.: The Rise of the Immigration Enforcement Economy” examined how United States immigration enforcement, a rapidly growing multi-billion-dollar industry shaped by private profit and political power, deports and removes detainees.
Lawfare Live:** Debriefing the D.C. Circuit’s Argument Over Contempt Inquiry: **On Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 2 p.m. ET,
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