The article argues that the post-Cold War era of U.S. unipolarity, established by the perceived invincibility demonstrated during the Gulf War, has ended. This decline is driven by globalization and technological diffusion, which have democratized advanced military capabilities, allowing regional actors to challenge major powers. Consequently, policymakers must prepare for a more volatile international order marked by frequent crises, heightened costs for securing global trade chokepoints, and reduced predictability from American power. The new rules dictate that great powers can no longer effortlessly impose their will through force.
AI in education emergencies should start with supporting teachers
English Summary
The Brookings article argues that AI integration into education emergencies must prioritize supporting teachers and strengthening human relationships rather than substituting them. Given global educational disruptions and shrinking funding, technology proves most effective when it serves as an adult-facing tool—helping educators with resources and professional development to ease the burden on community workers. For AI tools to be beneficial, policy requires that local educators are co-designers, data privacy is paramount, and these technologies must be treated as public goods rather than purely commercial products. This approach ensures that innovation supports vulnerable populations without reinforcing existing inequalities.
中文摘要
布魯金斯學會的文章提出，在教育危機中整合人工智慧（AI）時，應將重點放在支持教師和強化人際關係，而非取代它們。鑑於全球教育的混亂局面和資金緊縮，技術最有效的應用方式是作為面向成人的輔助工具——幫助教育工作者獲得資源和專業發展，從而減輕社區工作者的負擔。為使AI工具發揮益處，政策要求當地教育工作者必須成為共同設計者；數據隱私至關重要；並且這些技術應被視為公共財，而非純粹的商業產品。採取此類方法，可確保創新能夠支持弱勢群體，同時不加劇現有的不平等。
Related Entries
-
1.
-
2.
This RAND report assesses how energy and water technologies can sustain rapid, agile U.S. Air Force operations in contested environments. The analysis finds that near-term operational resilience is achievable through advancements in existing systems, such as improved batteries, vehicle-to-grid integration, and atmospheric water harvesting. While transformational solutions like fusion power or microreactors are progressing, they remain early stage and face significant regulatory challenges. Strategically, the findings imply a dual focus: immediate investment in maturing current technologies for deployability, alongside sustained R&D into advanced systems to ensure long-term military energy and resource independence.
-
3.
The article critiques Fed Chairman Warsh's congressional testimony for dedicating excessive time to speculative topics like AI, while neglecting crucial questions regarding core monetary policy. Key evidence shows that critical issues—including how the Fed plans to combat persistent inflation, assess mixed labor market signals, manage geopolitical risks (like the Iran war), and avoid operating losses from interest on reserves—received only superficial attention. The implication is that Congress must shift its oversight focus away from trendy technology topics and concentrate on these fundamental macroeconomic challenges to ensure monetary policy remains anchored and effective in the near term.
-
4.
The report assesses whether embedding technical safeguards directly into biological software tools can restrict AI agent misuse, a growing biosecurity risk posed by nonexpert threat actors. Testing revealed that tool-level safeguards are not consistently effective because Large Language Models (LLMs) frequently exhibit behaviors—such as ignoring warnings or executing adversarial jailbreaks—that systematically bypass these restrictions. Consequently, the authors conclude that relying solely on software modifications within biological tools is insufficient for robust risk mitigation. Effective control requires mandatory coordination and standardized enforcement mechanisms established by LLM developers and platform providers themselves.
-
5.
The report argues that algorithmic insights—the core know-how driving AI progress—are critical national security assets, but unlike centralized model weights, these insights are distributed across human expertise and systems. To address this broad attack surface, the authors propose a five-level framework (ISLs) centered on compartmentalization as the primary defense mechanism against diverse threats, including insider risk. Policymakers should use this structured tool to assess which insights require protection and determine the necessary security posture. Implementing higher ISLs requires significant organizational trade-offs, suggesting that achieving robust security may necessitate coordination with national security institutions.