Policy Currents | The newsletter for policy people
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** Aug. 20, 2024
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AI Governance: What Other Technologies Can Teach Us
Nuclear technology. The internet. Encryption products. Genetic engineering. How do these technologies resemble AI? How are they different? And how might the approaches used to govern them inform decisions about AI governance?
A new report by RAND's Michael Vermeer explores these questions. He concludes that AI is both "like all these examples, and none of them." And while there are helpful lessons that earlier technologies offer to inform AI efforts, today's global environment is substantially different from the one in which nuclear technology, the internet, encryption products, and genetic engineering emerged.
Therefore, Vermeer says, "The only course of action is to apply the lessons we can, intentionally pursue shared norms in the communities responsible for governance, be attentive to changes in technology and context, and be prepared to adapt."
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A Look at Ukraine's Kursk Invasion
With its bold ground offensive into the southern Kursk region of Russia, Ukraine appears to have the initiative against its enemy. And according to RAND's Gian Gentile and Adam Givens, "In war, as military history shows, initiative is everything." Gentile and Givens break down three past examples of this kind of risk-taking: George Washington's Delaware River crossing in the fall of 1776, General Douglas MacArthur's amphibious landing at Inchon in September 1950, and Germany's failed attack on Kursk in July of 1943. These case studies suggest that Ukraine's audacity has created an advantage, they say: "It can still win its war against the Russian invaders."
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A Promising Approach to Improving Probation and Parole Supervision Outcomes
As of December 2021, approximately 3.7 million U.S. adults were on probation or parole supervision. One way to address high recidivism rates among this group may be to establish partnerships between community supervision agencies and people who have lived experience with the justice system. To learn more about the potential challenges and opportunities associated with "lived experience initiatives," researchers from RAND and the University of Denver convened a workshop of experts. The findings suggest that, overall, this approach is promising. As one workshop participant put it, "Most folks would rather work with someone who has walked a mile in their shoes."
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** RAND Recommends
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- It's been just over a year since wildfires devastated Lahaina, Hawaii. RAND's Aaron Clark-Ginsberg and Lance Tan--writing with Elizabeth Bowen, an elementary school teacher in Lahaina--explained the keys to rebuilding and recovery.
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- RAND's Brian Michael Jenkins discussed the "remarkably creative deal" behind the recent U.S.-Russia prisoner swap, the inevitable criticism it has received, and the long-standing role of domestic politics in foreign affairs.
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- In Scripps News, RAND's Caitlin Lee discussed the rising number of attacks on U.S. troops since Hamas's attacks on Israel last October.
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** Events
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Pardee RAND Admissions Webinar: Master of National Security Policy Overview
Thursday, August 22, 2024 or Tuesday, August 27, 2024 (Online)
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The Math Equity Equation
Thursday, August 29, 2024 (Online)
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Applications are open for Pardee RAND Graduate School's new Master of National Security Policy degree program. Full-time and part-time schedules are available at our campuses in Santa Monica, CA, and Arlington, VA.
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