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
-
AI Arms Race, Drone Warfare and Cognitive Enhancement with Paul Scharre
The Grey Dynamics podcast spoke with Paul Scharre, the vice president and director of studies at the Center for New American Security (CNAS). They discussed the use of drones ...
By Paul Scharre
-
China’s Chip Industry Dismayed by Multilateral Export Controls
The original Chinese statement takes a much more indignant tone, reading more like an impassioned call to action to the Chinese domestic semiconductor industry to get its act ...
By Emily Jin
-
China’s Censors Are Afraid of What Chatbots Might Say
If Xi grows worried that, for instance, AI-powered automation will displace too many jobs and thus metastasize the risk of social unrest, he would have to make a hard choice b...
By Jordan Schneider & Nicholas Welch
-
U.S. and China Can Show World Leadership by Safeguarding Military AI
The US and China must move beyond unilateral statements and begin developing shared confidence-building measures to manage the risks of military AI competition....
By Paul Scharre