Cnas Podcasts

China is positioning itself as a powerhouse in quantum science, posing a challenge to U.S. national security and innovation leadership. Elsa B. Kania, an Adjunct Fellow at CNAS, and John Costello, former Co-Founder and Director Emeritus of the China Cyber and Intelligence Studies Institute, join Paul Scharre for a discussion on China's ambitions in quantum development and their recent report, "Quantum Hegemony."

Ambassador Wendy Sherman discusses her unlikely career, which began as an advocate for women's issues. Then, she went into politics, and eventually wound up at the State Department, where she was the lead negotiator for the Iran nuclear deal. In her new book, “Not for the Faint of Heart: Lessons in Courage, Power, and Persistence,” Sherman writes about long hours of work and having to persevere through tough negotiations with the North Koreans and later the Iranians. In this final episode of the first season of Stories from the Backchannel, Sherman speaks with host Ilan Goldenberg, Senior Fellow and Director of the Middle East Security Program at the Center for A New American Security. She talks about what it was like to be sitting next to the late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and the challenges of negotiating with Iran. Sherman's story is a candid portrayal of what it's like to be a diplomat and how challenges can sometimes be turned into opportunities.

What happens when a Predator drone has as much autonomy as a Google car? Or when a weapon that can hunt its own targets is hacked? Although it sounds like science fiction, the technology already exists to create weapons that can attack targets without human input. One person who has taken a deep look into autonomous weapons is Paul Scharre, Director of the Technology and National Security Program at CNAS and former Army Ranger. In this episode, Scharre talks with host Ilan Goldenberg about how far weapons have evolved and how the world reconcile with the moral implications of these advancements. Scharre is also author of the book Army of None: Autonomous Weapons and the Future of War.

When Bill Clinton took over as President in 1992, his then Middle East advisor Martin Indyk told him he has a chance to partner with Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin to secure peace treaties with Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and the Palestinians. In this episode of Stories From The Backchannel, Indyk talks with host Ilan Goldenberg, Director of the Middle East Security Program at the Center for A New American Security, about Indyk's journey from Australia to becoming the US Ambassador to Israel, and his quest to bring peace between Israel and its neighbors. Indyk recounts triumphs such as bringing PLO Chairman Yasir Arafat and Rabin to the White House for a historic summit. He also recalls heartbreaking setbacks such what it was like to being in the hospital with Rabin's family on the night the Prime Minister was assassinated. During the Obama administration Goldenberg and Indyk would wind up working together under Secretary of State John Kerry as the United States made another attempt to broker peace. Thro

Stories from the Backchannel is a new CNAS podcast program that examines the stories behind some of America's most important national security moments. Hosted by CNAS Middle East Program Director, Ilan Goldenberg, the podcast invites listeners into the room as government officials, and world leaders put aside niceties in favor of candid discussions, and hard-nosed negotiations. In our first episode, Unavoidable Russia, CNAS CEO Victoria Nuland recounts her time as one of America's leading diplomats on Russia. Each story is told from the perspective of officials who were part of some of our nation's most captivating and historic moments.

Paul Scharre, Director and Senior Fellow of the Technology and National Security program at CNAS, hosts a discussion with Technology and National Security Adjunct Fellow Elsa Kania on her new report about the basics of quantum technology, China’s related efforts, and what the United States should do to maintain its technological leadership.

Kara Frederick hosts a session with Paul Scharre and Gregory C. Allen on the third report of CNAS’ AI and International Security series, “Strategic Competition in an Era of Artificial Intelligence.”

Kara Frederick, from the Technology and National Security program at CNAS, hosts a discussion on the basics of artificial intelligence and its impact on national security with Paul Scharre, Gregory C. Allen and Edoardo Saravalle. The experts also discuss the release of the CNAS AI report series, Artificial Intelligence and International Security.

Stories from the Backchannel is a new CNAS podcast program that examines the stories behind some of America's most important national security moments. Hosted by CNAS Middle East Program Director, Ilan Goldenberg, the podcast invites listeners into the room as government officials, and world leaders put aside niceties in favor of candid discussions, and hard-nosed negotiations. In our first episode, Unavoidable Russia, CNAS CEO Victoria Nuland recounts her time as one of America's leading diplomats on Russia. Each story is told from the perspective of officials who were part of some of our nation's most captivating and historic moments.

Join Kara Frederick from the CNAS Technology and National Security Program in a discussion with Paul Scharre on the national security implications of robotics, autonomy, and artificial intelligence in “Army of None.”

Neil Bhatiya, Research Associate in the Energy, Economics, and Security Program, leads a discussion on China's use of coercive economic measures and how the United States can respond with Elizabeth Rosenberg, Senior Fellow and Director of the EES Program, Peter Harrell, Adjunct Senior Fellow in the EES Program, and Edoardo Saravalle, Researcher in the EES Program. The discussants draw on the findings from their upcoming report on Chinese economic coercion and cover topics including: past examples of Chinese coercive measures, how Beijing chooses its targets, how its coercion differs from the U.S. measures, and how Washington can counter this threat.

Join Kara Frederick, from the Technology and National Security program at CNAS, in a discussion with Mary Wareham, Paul Scharre, and Elsa B. Kania on the key takeaways of the fifth meeting of the UN GGE for the CCW in Geneva.

Paul Scharre, Senior Fellow and Director of the Technology and National Security program at CNAS, discusses the Trump Administration’s recent Drone Export Policy and its relationship to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) with CNAS Adjunct Senior Fellow Dr. Michael Horowitz.

Anthony Cho interviews Harry Krejsa on Harry's new report, "Under Pressure," which examines how China is influencing rivals and competitors overseas through subversion and other means.

Join Paul Scharre, Senior Fellow and Director of the Technology and National Security program at CNAS, in a discussion with Amir Husain about the ethical implications of artificial intelligence on human existentialism, the future of work and war, and technological risk.

Join Paul Scharre, Senior Fellow and Director of the Technology and National Security program at CNAS, in a discussion with Bob Work and Amir Husain on the launch of the Artificial Intelligence Task Force, an important cross-sector collaboration to discuss societal, economic, and security implications of this emerging technology.

As part of the Zak Grand Strategy lecture series, CNAS welcomes Rebecca Friedman Lissner of Perry World House at the University of Pennsylvania and Mira Rapp-Hooper of the Paul Tsai China Center at Yale Law School to discuss their new essay, "The Day After Trump: American Strategy for a New International Order," in the latest Washington Quarterly. In it they examine the fraying of the post World War II order over the last several decades, but encourage foreign policy thinkers to think seriously about what's next.

Samantha Vinograd and Morgan Ortagus join the CNAS Women in National Security podcast to discuss their careers in national security, the private sector, and media, their evolving understanding of the concept of security, and how their long (and bipartisan!) friendship has shaped their lives.

Launching the second chapter in the Women in National Security podcast series, Fox News national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin talks with CNAS Senior Fellow Loren DeJonge Schulman about her career as a journalist, how she views being a woman in this field, and the "last word" she'd want to have on the topic of women in national security.

Join Paul Scharre, Senior Fellow and Director of the Technology and National Security Program at CNAS, in a discussion with Brendan McCord and Gregory C. Allen about the challenges and opportunities facing the United States’ private sector and national security community in harnessing the potential of artificial intelligence.