Stop the World

It’s a double episode week on Stop the World, and today we bring you a conversation with Jennifer Bachus, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy at the US Department of State. ASPI’s Bart Hogeveen speaks to Jennifer about cyber security and tech diplomacy, and how the US Government is working to improve cyber resilience at home and supporting partners globally to do the same.     They discuss threats such as ransomware and cybercrimes and recent developments including the draft UN convention against cybercrime, and the US-led global Counter Ransomware Initiative. Bart asks Jennifer how the US government is adapting to a constantly evolving tech landscape and changing threat environment countries are facing in the cyber domain.       Mentioned in this episode:   Draft UN convention against cybercrime  Counter Ransomware Initiative   One Bullet Away, by Nathaniel Fick  Chip War, by Chris Miller    Guests:   Bart Hogeveen Jennifer Bachus 

In the latest video edition of The Sydney Dialogue Summit Sessions, Bethany Allen, Head of China Investigations and Analysis at ASPI, speaks with Her Excellency Dato’ Astanah Abdul Aziz, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for Political-Security Community. They discuss Dato’s career path and how her time as a diplomat within Malaysia’s foreign ministry led to her current role with ASEAN. They also explore the role of ASEAN and the value that it brings to the region – not just economic value but also in building relationships. With growing tensions in the South China Sea, Bethany and Dato' discuss how ASEAN can contribute to greater stability in the Indo-Pacific. They also talk about how ASEAN nations are working to address the rise of disruptive technologies, particularly artificial intelligence. Dato and Bethany were both panellists at The Sydney Dialogue, ASPI’s premier policy summit for critical, emerging and cyber technologies, held on September 2 and 3. This special episode is the fourth in a series of podcasts filmed on the sidelines of the conference, which will be released in the coming weeks. Speakers: Her Excellency Dato’ Astanah Abdul Aziz Bethany Allen

In the third video edition of The Sydney Dialogue Summit Sessions, Jason Healey, Senior Research Scholar at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University, sits down with Admiral Michael Rogers (Ret’d), Senior Advisor at Trusted Future, to discuss all things intelligence. Jason was a founding member of both the Office of the National Cyber Director at the White House and the first cyber command in the world, the Joint Task Force for Computer Network Defense, while Michael is a former Commander of the US Cyber Command and Director of the US National Security Agency. The conversation explores how Michael’s career began as a surface warfare officer and how he made the transition into the world of intelligence, as well as how signals intelligence has changed over time and whether it will stay the same in the decades ahead. With Australia no longer having a 10‑year window of strategic warning time ahead of major conflict, they also talk about intelligence and warning. Jason asks Michael how intelligence can provide better warning and whether the job is becoming more difficult as the world becomes more complex. Jason and Michael were both panellists at The Sydney Dialogue, ASPI’s premier policy summit for critical, emerging and cyber technologies, held on September 2 and 3. This special episode is the third in a series of podcasts filmed on the sidelines of the conference, which will be released in the coming weeks. Speakers: Jason Healey – https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/admiral-michael-s-rogers Admiral Michael Rogers (Ret’d) – https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/jason-healey

In the latest episode of Stop the World, Olivia Nelson sits down with Lisa Sharland, Senior Fellow and Director of the Protecting Civilians and Human Security program at the Stimson Centre. The conversation, which was recorded in July, discusses the United Nations (UN) and how the multilateral system is adapting - or struggling to adapt - to rapid global change. They also discuss the UN’s Summit of the Future which aims to find international consensus on pressing global issues.  The conversation also covers peacekeeping and Australia’s role in it, the challenges that women face in multilateral settings, and how gender equality and women’s security relates to broader national and international security. Finally, as ASPI celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Women in Defence and Security Network (WDSN), Lisa and Olivia explore the evolving presence and contribution of women in Australia’s national security landscape.    Speakers: Olivia NelsonLisa Sharland Mentioned in this episode: https://www.stimson.org/2022/strengthening-human-rights-translating-multilateral-commitments-into-action/ https://www.stimson.org/2023/host-country-consent-in-un-peacekeeping/ https://www.stimson.org/2024/the-role-of-air-power-in-un-peacekeeping/

In the second video edition of The Sydney Dialogue Summit Sessions, ASPI’s Executive Director Justin Bassi sits down with Latvia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Baiba Braže. Justin and Baiba discuss the partnership between the Euro-Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific, and how democracies can work together to strengthen regional and global stability. They also discuss Russia and China’s “no-limits partnership”, how Beijing is enabling Russia’s war on Ukraine through the provision of technological supplies, and what countries like Australia and Latvia can do to maintain the rules-based international order. Minister Braže was a panellist at The Sydney Dialogue, ASPI’s premier policy summit for critical, emerging and cyber technologies, held on September 2 and 3. This special episode is the second in a series of podcasts filmed on the sidelines of the conference, which will be released in the coming weeks. Check out ASPI’s YouTube channel here to watch the full video

In the first video edition of The Sydney Dialogue Summit Sessions, David Wroe sits down with Connor Leahy, co-founder and CEO of Conjecture AI. David and Connor speak about the catastrophic risks that a powerful but uncontrolled and unaligned artificial superintelligence could pose to humanity, and Conjecture’s approach to safe AI called “cognitive emulation”. They also discuss what it means for an intelligent agent to have goals, and the likelihood that the current dominant AI approach of large language models can continue to be scaled up with more computing power. Connor was a panellist at ASPI’s Sydney Dialogue cyber and tech conference held on September 2 and 3. This is the first of a series of podcasts filmed on the sidelines of the conference, which will be released in the coming weeks. Check out ASPI’s YouTube channel here to watch the full video.

The Sydney Dialogue is over, but never fear, we have more TSD content coming your way! This week, ASPI’s David Wroe speaks to Nina Jankowicz, global disinformation expert and author of the books How to Lose the Information War and How to Be a Woman Online. Nina takes us through the trends she is seeing in disinformation across the globe, and offers an assessment of who does it best, and whether countries like China and Iran are learning from Russia. She also discusses the links between disinformation and political polarisation, and what governments can do to protect the information domain from foreign interference and disinformation. Finally, Dave asks Nina about her experience being the target of disinformation and online harassment, and the tactics being used against many women in influential roles, including US Vice President Kamala Harris and Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, in attempts to censor and discredit them. Guests: David Wroe Nina Jankowicz

In the final lead-in episode to the Sydney Dialogue (but not the last in the series!), ASPI’s Executive Director, Justin Bassi, interviews Shashank Joshi, Defence Editor at the Economist. They discuss technology, security and strategic competition, including the impact of artificial intelligence on defence and intelligence operations, the implications of the no-limits partnership between Russia and China and increasing alignment between authoritarian states. They also cover the challenge of protecting free speech online within a framework of rules which also protects public safety. They talk about Shashank’s latest Economist report ‘Spycraft: Watching the Watchers’, which explores the intersection of technology and intelligence, and looks at the history of intel and tech development, including advancements from radio to the internet and encryption. The Sydney Dialogue (TSD) is ASPI’s flagship initiative on cyber and critical technologies. The summit brings together world leaders, global technology industry innovators and leading thinkers on cyber and critical technology for frank and productive discussions. TSD 2024 will address the advances made across these technologies and their impact on our societies, economies and national security. Find out more about TSD 2024 here: https://tsd.aspi.org.au/ Mentioned in this episode: https://www.economist.com/technology-quarterly/2024-07-06 Guests: Justin Bassi Shashank Joshi

In today’s episode of The Sydney Dialogue Summit Sessions, Alex Caples speaks to Jennifer Zhu Scott, globally recognised AI expert and Founding Partner of IN. Capital, about artificial intelligence and the changing value of data. They discuss how rapid tech advancements have seen debates about how to keep governments out of cyberspace and technology turn into calls for governments to step in to regulate the online world. As part of this, they explore the value of personal data, which is no longer limited to debates about privacy but about who owns the data and who can profit from it. They explain how big companies are using personal data for profit, and the need for individuals and corporations to regain control of their data, both from an economics perspective and to safeguard personal freedoms. The Sydney Dialogue (TSD) is ASPI’s flagship initiative on cyber and critical technologies. The summit brings together world leaders, global technology industry innovators and leading thinkers on cyber and critical technology for frank and productive discussions. TSD 2024 will address the advances made across these technologies and their impact on our societies, economies and national security. Find out more about TSD 2024 here: https://tsd.aspi.org.au/ Guests: Alexandra Caples Jennifer Zhu Scott

Today we have a double episode special on arbitrary detention and the decline of press freedoms, with two people who have been wrongfully detained. David Wroe speaks to distinguished journalist and author Peter Greste, about his experience of detention in Egypt, how governments should respond to the use of arbitrary detention, and his take on the recent prisoner swap between the US, Russia and other countries which saw the return of the Wall Street Journal’s Evan Gershkovich to the United States. Tasfia Zeba from the ASPI DC office speaks to Kylie Moore-Gilbert, academic, writer and co-founder of the Australian Wrongful and Arbitrary Detention Alliance, or AWADA. Tasfia asks Kylie about her wrongful detention in Iran, lessons countries can learn from each other’s experiences including how to disincentivise state hostage taking and why governments should impose Magnitsky sanctions on those responsible.   Guests: David Wroe Peter Greste Tasfia Zeba Kylie Moore-Gilbert