Speakers:
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Director of NIST Dr. Laurie Locascio: Laurie Locascio is the 17th director of NIST and the fourth Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology. She most recently served as vice president for research at the University of Maryland College Park and University of Maryland Baltimore, where she focused on the development of large interdisciplinary research programs, technology commercialization, innovation and economic development efforts, and strategic partnerships with industry, federal, academic and nonprofit collaborators. Before joining the University of Maryland, Dr. Locascio worked at NIST for 31 years, rising from a research biomedical engineer to eventually leading the agency’s Material Measurement Laboratory (MML). Dr. Locascio has a B.S. in chemistry from James Madison University, an M.S. in bioengineering from the University of Utah, and a Ph.D. in toxicology from the University of Maryland Baltimore.
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President and CEO of the RAND Corporation Dr. Jason Matheny: Jason Matheny is president and chief executive officer of the RAND Corporation. He previously led White House policy on technology and national security at the National Security Council and the Office of Science and Technology Policy. And prior to that, Dr. Matheny was founding director of the Center for Security and Emerging Technology at Georgetown University and director of the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), where he was responsible for developing advanced technologies for the U.S. intelligence community. He has worked for Oxford University, the World Bank, the Applied Physics Laboratory, the Center for Biosecurity, and Princeton University. Jason has served on many nonpartisan boards and committees, including the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence. Dr. Matheny holds a Ph.D. in applied economics from Johns Hopkins University, an M.P.H. from Johns Hopkins University, an M.B.A. from Duke University, and a B.A. in art history from the University of Chicago.
Key Takeaways
The “Emerging Technologies: Innovation and Governance” symposium held at the Hopkins Bloomberg Center brought together experts from across Johns Hopkins University to discuss the transformative potential and challenges of cutting-edge technologies. The fireside chat with Dr. Laurie Locascio and Dr. Jason Matheny opened the symposium with a discussion on the societal impacts, policy needs, and governance strategies related to emerging technologies like AI, quantum computing, semiconductors, biotechnology, and space exploration.
The speakers talked about the pivotal role of AI, which has advanced rapidly in terms of capability and applications. Dr. Matheny highlighted the dramatic increase in interest and attention on tech policy because the public can interact with models like ChatGPT. He highlighted that it is in the U.S.’ competitive advantage to create safe and trusted AI systems and that thanks to NIST, the U.S. has a leverage to do so. Dr. Locascio highlighted NIST's mission to establish trust in these technologies by conducting deep research and developing scientifically backed guidelines. Because NIST is a nonpolitical organization, it is well positioned to building strong relationships with the private sector, allowing it to set standards.
Governance challenges were also explored through an international lens. As technologies like AI and quantum computing are inherently transnational, harmonized global standards are essential to prevent regulatory chaos. Recent international efforts, such as the Bletchley Summit on AI, were seen as promising steps toward shared principles. However, aligning these principles given the diverse priorities among international powers remains a formidable task.
While the timeline for practical quantum computing remains uncertain, the speakers stressed the importance of being prepared for its disruptive potential. Similarly, energy innovations in fusion, modular nuclear reactors, and advanced battery storage were highlighted as areas with transformative societal and economic implications. From the misuse of synthetic biology to AI's potential for societal disruption, the fireside chat reinforced the necessity of collaboration between tech, policy, and ethics.