FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

American Security Project Unites 40 Retired Flag Officers and Diplomats, Former U.S. Cabinet Secretaries and Members of Congress

All Calling for U.S. Leadership on Exponential Technology

Washington, D.C., February 7, 2022 – Today, the American Security Project (ASP) issued an open letter calling on policymakers to harness the untapped potential of exponential technologies because it is a matter of critical importance for America’s economic and national security to capitalize on disruptive innovation and developing technologies. Signers included Admiral William Fallon, USN (Ret.) among 18 retired flag officers; ASP Chairperson former EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman (R-NJ); and a host of former U.S. diplomats including Ambassadors and a former Undersecretary of State, as well as former U.S. Senator Gary Hart and two additional former Members of Congress.

The august, nonpartisan and bipartisan group of leaders argued:

“We are locked in a modern-day space race, and bending the arc of these forces to favor our democracy, economic competitiveness, security, and resilience is a whole of society effort… Harnessing these forces will not only unlock trillions of dollars in economic value but also allow us to lead democratic nations in a wave of exponential development and growth that builds digital public goods supporting the always-on global needs of the 21st century.”

As the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated, the very premise of our household, economic and political viability and continuity, depends on technology. Many innovation platforms and technologies, such as digital currency and artificial intelligence, are evolving and converging simultaneously. These technologies will serve as the global economy’s central nervous system and be the defining feature of economic competition in the 21st century. America’s economic and national security hinges on our ability to compete in the emerging realm of exponential technologies and the third generation of the internet.

As Congress and regulators continue to examine emerging technologies and digital public goods, ASP urged policymakers “to embrace innovation and catalyze the American technological enterprise to position the United States for the next chapter of global economic competition.”

Since its founding, the American Security Project has been a leader in bipartisan national security and foreign policy, promoting dialogue, forging consensus, and raising the American public’s understanding of critical national security issues. Over the coming months, ASP will convene a series of meetings with policymakers, experts, and stakeholders to examine various disruptive technologies and platforms, policy options, and how our allies and adversaries are addressing this evolution in the global economy.

Open Letter From the American Security Project Calling for U.S. Leadership on Exponential Technology by The American Security Project on Scribd

Share on Facebook

Tweet