Emerging Technology

The Emerging Technology Program focuses on the most critical emerging technology challenges facing Australia, the United States and our allies and partners. The program explores the threats and opportunities of technologies still in development or where the practical applications are largely unrealised ranging from artificial intelligence and quantum to big data and electronic warfare.

About the program

The Emerging Technology Program focuses on the most critical emerging technology challenges facing Australia, the United States and our allies and partners. The program explores the threats and opportunities of technologies still in development or where the practical applications are largely unrealised ranging from artificial intelligence and quantum to big data and electronic warfare. The program collaborates with others to solve national security and social challenges arising from new technologies. We do this by conducting original and unique research and by convening government, industry and academia to collaboratively identify solutions.

There are four research streams in this program.

Security and intelligence

The technology and security stream of research focuses on emerging and critical technologies and their role in shaping security. This includes national and globally recognised critical technologies as well as tracking technology decoupling and its implications. This stream of research explores the threats and opportunities of emerging technologies for global and national security as well as government and intelligence agencies.

Alliance building

This stream explores both the role of technology in different alliance relationships and as a framework for building alliances in the context of the US-Australia bilateral relationship and multi-lateral forums (such as AUKUS, Quad and NATO) as well as the ways technology is shifting geopolitics.

Delivered in conjunction with the Economic Security Program this stream of research also explores the opportunities and challenges for Australian and US businesses from emerging technologies, such as energy production and storage. It also considers the local technology workforce and skills and the flow of global talent.

Advanced capabilities and defence technology

Complementing the Foreign Policy and Defence Program, this stream of research focuses on dual-use technologies and the AUKUS advanced capabilities pillar. It looks at the regulation of emerging dual-use and military technologies and amendments to existing ineffective regulatory processes, innovation and technology exchanges and export controls. This research stream also explores the role of emerging technology in enabling asymmetrical advantage in war, from undersea to electronic warfare to advanced cyber.

Technology for society, democracy and policy

Delivered in conjunction with the Politics, Society and Culture Program, this stream explores the impact of emerging technologies on society as well as effective policy levers to improve standards and regulation. This includes the role of emerging technologies in creating new forms of social and political capital as well as exacerbating old social harms and creating new social harms such as disinformation, political interference and individual safety. This stream of research looks at how emerging technologies impact society and civil life – including democratic resilience privacy, employment, and online safety – as well as their impact on the Australia-US alliance.

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Decoding good intelligence

Commentary byDr Miah Hammond-Errey