March 03, 2023
It’s Time to Appoint a US Special Envoy for Semiconductors
A seismic shift in U.S. semiconductor strategy is at risk of short-circuiting. The cause? Disconnected diplomacy.
Semiconductors emerged from relative obscurity to the top of national security-related policy discussions last year, such that they were highlighted in U.S. President Joe Biden’s most recent State of the Union address. However, though messaging is forefront, it is not coordinated. Like the semiconductor supply chain, this issue is complex, with both domestic and international implications.
A special envoy for semiconductors could demonstrate U.S. leadership without acting unilaterally.
A successful U.S. semiconductor strategy, therefore, requires a special envoy for semiconductors.
Think about it: For an issue that is a top priority for the United States, messaging comes from the Commerce Department, State Department, and the White House, with no clear line of responsibility. While the United States created a special envoy for critical and emerging technology, this position has a broader mission, which includes biotechnology, AI, and quantum. Semiconductors are important enough to warrant a dedicated person at the State Department.
Read the full article from The Diplomat.
More from CNAS
-
Video
Technology & National Security
Ukraine Is Opening Putin’s Military Secrets to the WorldUkraine has launched a new platform, called 'TrophyLab', sharing research into captured Russian weapons with allies. Russian UAV expert and CNA and Center for a New American S...
By Samuel Bendett
-
Podcast
Technology & National Security
The White House’s Secret AI Rules + the State of Model Alignment With METR’s Chris Painter + the Final Hot Mess ExpressThen, yet another report details new incidents in which A.I. agents have gone rogue. Chris Painter, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security and the ...
By Chris Painter
-
Podcast
Technology & National Security
AI Roundup: AI Going Rogue, Music Labels Want Popular AI Music GuidelinesDaniel Remler, senior fellow with the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), joined AirTalk to discuss the White House's me...
By Daniel Remler
-
Commentary
Technology & National Security
The Cure for Russia’s Labor Shortage Is Worse Than the DiseaseAltogether, while Russia’s labor crisis is becoming a structural constraint on the Kremlin’s wartime economy, domestic stability, and long-term geopolitical ambitions, its res...
By Samuel Bendett
