{"677236":{"#nid":"677236","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Counter WMD Official Shares How She Prepares for America\u2019s Worst Day","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEven though artificial intelligence (AI) is not advanced enough to help the average person build weapons of mass destruction, federal agencies know it could be possible and are keeping pace with next generation technologies through rigorous research and strategic partnerships.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt is a delicate balance, but as the leader of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.dhs.gov\/countering-weapons-mass-destruction-office\u0022\u003ECountering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office\u003C\/a\u003E (CWMD) told a room full of Georgia Tech students, faculty, and staff, there is no room for error.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou have to be right all the time, the bad guys only have to be right once,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.dhs.gov\/person\/mary-ellen-callahan\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMary Ellen Callahan\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant secretary for CWMD.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a guest of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.jktien.com\/about\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Tien\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, former DHS deputy secretary and professor of practice in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scp.cc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/a\u003E as well as the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/inta.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESam Nunn School of International Affairs\u003C\/a\u003E, Callahan was at Georgia Tech for three separate speaking engagements in late September.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Assistant Secretary Callahan\u0027s contributions were remarkable in so many ways,\u201d said Tien. \u201cMost importantly, I love how she demonstrated to our students that the work in the fields of cybersecurity, privacy, and homeland security is an honorable, interesting, and substantive way to serve the greater good of keeping the American people safe and secure. As her former colleague at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, I was proud to see her represent her CWMD team, DHS, and the Biden-Harris Administration in the way she did, with humility, personality, and leadership.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the thought of AI-assisted WMDs is terrifying to think about, it is just a glimpse into what Callahan\u2019s office handles on a regular basis. The assistant secretary walked her listeners through how CWMD works with federal and local law enforcement on how to identify and detect the signs of potential chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear\u0026nbsp;(CBRN) weapons.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere\u0027s a whole cadre of professionals who spend every day preparing for the worst day in U.S. history,\u201d said Callahan. \u201cThey are doing everything in their power to make sure that that does not happen.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECWMD is also researching ways to implement AI technologies into current surveillance systems to help identify and respond to threats faster. For example, an AI-backed bio-hazard surveillance systems would allow analysts to characterize and contextualize the risk of potential bio-hazard threats in a timely manner.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECallahan\u2019s office spearheaded a report exploring the advantages and risks of AI in, \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.dhs.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/2024-06\/24_0620_cwmd-dhs-cbrn-ai-eo-report-04262024-public-release.pdf\u0022\u003EReducing the Risks at the Intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Threats\u003C\/a\u003E,\u201d which was released to the public earlier this year.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe report was a multidisciplinary effort that was created in collaboration with the White House \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/ostp\/\u0022\u003EOffice of Science and Technology Policy\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/\u0022\u003EDepartment of Energy\u003C\/a\u003E, academic institutions, private industries, think tanks, and third-party evaluators.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring his introduction of assistant secretary, SCP Chair \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/faculty.cc.gatech.edu\/~mbailey\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMichael Bailey\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E told those seated in the Coda Atrium that Callahan\u2019s career is an incredible example of the interdisciplinary nature he hopes the school\u2019s students and faculty can use as a roadmap.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cImportant, impactful, and interdisciplinary research can be inspired by everyday problems,\u201d he said. \u0022We believe that building a secure future requires revolutionizing security education and being vigilant, and together, we can achieve this goal.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile on campus Tuesday, Callahan gave a special guest lecture to the students in \u201cCS\u0026nbsp;3237 Human Dimension of Cybersecurity: People, Organizations, Societies,\u201d and \u201cCS 4267 - Critical Infrastructures.\u201d Following the lecture, she gave a prepared speech to students, faculty, and staff.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELastly, she participated in a moderated panel discussion with SCP J.Z. Liang Chair\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/peterswire.net\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPeter Swire\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/faculty.cc.gatech.edu\/~perullo\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJerry Perullo\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, SCP professor of practice and former CISO of International Continental Exchange as well as the New York Stock Exchange. The panel was moderated by Tien.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFederal agencies, particularly the Department of Homeland Security\u2019s Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) Office, are actively researching how artificial intelligence can be used to detect and mitigate chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELed by Assistant Secretary Mary Ellen Callahan, CWMD works closely with federal and local law enforcement and partners in academia, government, and the private sector to explore how AI could enhance surveillance systems and accelerate responses to potential WMD threats. While AI is not yet advanced enough to facilitate weapon creation for malicious actors, Callahan emphasized the importance of being vigilant, as the consequences of a single error could be catastrophic. The agency\u2019s multidisciplinary efforts were showcased in a report that highlights both the risks and opportunities AI presents in managing CBRN threats.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Assistant Secretary of Department of Homeland Security\u2019s Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office, talks about researching the role of AI in combating chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats."}],"uid":"36253","created_gmt":"2024-10-01 16:35:01","changed_gmt":"2024-10-16 18:05:44","author":"John Popham","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-10-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-10-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675182":{"id":"675182","type":"image","title":"Mary Ellen Callahan visit_86A3520-Enhanced-NR.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EDHS Assistant Secretary for CWMD, Mary Ellen Callahan, speaks to students on the Georgia Tech campus in September. Photo by Terence Rushin, College of Computing\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1727800536","gmt_created":"2024-10-01 16:35:36","changed":"1727800536","gmt_changed":"2024-10-01 16:35:36","alt":"woman speaking","file":{"fid":"258783","name":"Mary Ellen Callahan visit_86A3520-Enhanced-NR.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/10\/01\/Mary%20Ellen%20Callahan%20visit_86A3520-Enhanced-NR.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/10\/01\/Mary%20Ellen%20Callahan%20visit_86A3520-Enhanced-NR.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1471805,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/10\/01\/Mary%20Ellen%20Callahan%20visit_86A3520-Enhanced-NR.jpg?itok=BWo3R-1Y"}}},"media_ids":["675182"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"660373","name":"School of Cybersecurity \u0026 Privacy (Do not use)"},{"id":"660367","name":"School of Cybersecurity and Privacy"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"147","name":"Military Technology"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"11435","name":"Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College"},{"id":"174523","name":"Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"169209","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts; Sam Nunn School of International Affairs"},{"id":"108321","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts; Sam Nunn School of International Affairs;"},{"id":"179321","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts; Sam Nunn School of International Affairs; national security;"},{"id":"178006","name":"chemical WMD"},{"id":"1264","name":"WMD"},{"id":"13167","name":"DHS"},{"id":"193860","name":"Artifical Intelligence"},{"id":"344","name":"cyber"},{"id":"181818","name":"cybersceurity"},{"id":"191797","name":"Cybersecurity careers"},{"id":"543","name":"National Security"},{"id":"13168","name":"Department of Homeland Security"},{"id":"45111","name":"Department of Nuclear and Radiological Engineering"},{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"},{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"},{"id":"186861","name":"go-cyber"},{"id":"105541","name":"federal agencies"},{"id":"67621","name":"federal relations"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"},{"id":"39481","name":"National Security"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Popham, Communications Officer II\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESchool of Cybersecurity and Privacy | Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scp.cc.gatech.edu\/\u0022 title=\u0022https:\/\/scp.cc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003Escp.cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E | \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jp-popham\u0022 title=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jp-popham\u0022\u003Ein\/jp-popham\u003C\/a\u003E on LinkedIn\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGet the latest SCP updates by \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/eepurl.com\/hNuIVT\u0022 title=\u0022http:\/\/eepurl.com\/hNuIVT\u0022\u003Ejoining our mailing list!\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jpopham3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}