Week of Sept 11-15, 2023
Under Secretary Kusnezov was in the United Kingdom (UK), September 12-14, to participate in a series of meetings and events with the UK government, academia and industry to explore key issues of interest for the Department in areas of emerging tech.
During the trip, the Under Secretary engaged in discussions focused on quantum and artificial intelligence (AI) with the U.S. Embassy in London Deputy Chief of Mission, physicist and quantum expert Sir Peter Knight, and UK Home Office Chief Scientific Advisor Jennifer Rubin. The Under Secretary also attended a small roundtable with AI industry representatives at Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) 2023, a leading UK defense industry conference.
The trip gave the Under Secretary an opportunity to engage UK experts leading R&D and policy development of quantum applications to security missions, and to share the DHS perspective on quantum efforts of interest to the Department. In addition, the Under Secretary had the opportunity to engage in informative discussions about the use of AI in the public sector and homeland security domains.
Week of Sept 11-15, 2023
On September 11, Under Secretary Kusnezov attended the somber commemoration of the horrific attack against the Pentagon at the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial. Family members of the 184 victims of the attack as well as first responders who responded to the crisis were among the special guests in attendance.
The commemoration began at dawn with a group of first responders unfurling the U.S. flag. Prior to the beginning of the official proceedings, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden laid a wreath at the memorial. Later, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Miley delivered remarks memorializing those who lost their lives at the Pentagon.
The Pentagon ceremony was joined by services in New York City and Shanksville, PA, commemorating the attacks that took lives of 2,977 Americans.
Week of Aug 28 – Sept 1
Under Secretary Kusnezov delivered opening remarks at the Machine Learning (ML) Industry Day hosted by the Transportation Security Laboratory (TSL) and TSA on August 31.
The event gave Under Secretary Kusnezov an opportunity to encourage TSA officials, security equipment manufacturers, third-party algorithm developers and other subject matter experts from government, industry and academia in attendance to work together to take the next steps for ensuring the proper algorithm training, testing and evaluation (T&E).
ML algorithms can out-perform human screeners when searching complex images for concealed threats. However, ML algorithms can display unusual and potentially undesirable behavior in certain circumstances. ML algorithms do not have “common sense” and they can fail in ways that seem counter-intuitive unless they are trained and tested. To avoid this fate, TSA and TSL must partner with system developers to ensure that the training and testing of ML-based detection algorithms are efficient, comprehensive and reliable.
The Day centered around sharing a draft roadmap for testing and evaluation of ML-based automatic target recognition (ATR) algorithms. Presenters encouraged participants to work collaboratively with DHS to design, create and implement a fast, efficient and reliable system for the development, test and evaluation of ML ATR algorithms in support of explosives and contraband detection.
Week of Aug 21 -25, 2023
Under Secretary Kusnezov delivered keynote remarks to the DHS Quantum Community of Interest during the Quantum Impacts Workshop at MITRE Corp. in McLean, VA, on August 22.
The event featured briefings from quantum subject matter experts from MITRE, the White House, including the Office of Science & Technology Policy and the Office of the National Cyber Director; the Department of Energy and Brookhaven National Labs; and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
The workshop provided a valuable forum to meet face to face with DHS component and interagency partners to discuss the nation’s strategic role in researching and leveraging quantum to prepare the Department and the nation for the opportunities and challenges it poses for the future. The field of Quantum Information Science & Technology, is vast – powerful in its potential, tremendous in its complexity, and continuous and rapid in its evolution. In the future, it will take us places that we can only imagine today.
Week of Aug 14 - 18, 2023
Under Secretary Kusnezov returned to New York City on August 16 to participate in a panel, “Promise & Peril: The Implications of Artificial Intelligence,” at the New York Police Department (NYPD)/ NYC Office of Technology and Innovation (OTI) Cyber Intelligence & Counterrorism Conference.
NYPD Deputy Commissioner, Intelligence and Counterintelligence Rebecca Weiner invited the Under Secretary to participate in the conference when he visited NYPD on August 4 as part of a series of meetings coordinated by S&T’s National Urban Security Technology Laboratory.
The conference enabled the Under Secretary to highlight S&T’s technology projects that are relevant to first responders and demonstrate that S&T understands the challenges and needs of state and local law enforcement in major cities like New York. Following the conference, Under Secretary Kusnezov met with New York City Fire Department Commissioner Laura Kavanagh and First Deputy Commissioner Joseph Pfeifer to discuss strategic updates from S&T since his last meeting with the Commissioner in January 2023.
Week of Aug 1 - 4, 2023
Under Secretary Kusnezov traveled to New York City on August 4 for a series of meetings arranged by S&T’s National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL).
The Under Secretary met with Anthony D’Esposito, House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology Chairman; Rebecca Weiner, New York Police Department Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence & Counterterrorism Bureau; and Greg Ehrie, Chief Security Officer of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, as well as toured NUSTL with the lab’s public safety customers from law enforcement and fire services.
The meetings helped solidify S&T’s partnerships with state and local agencies and provided an opportunity for the Under Secretary to engage with key stakeholders that support and inform our work to deliver capabilities for improving the safety, effectiveness and resilience of the first responder community.
Week of July 24-28, 2023
Under Secretary Kusnezov connected with first responders from every region of the country, July 26-27, at the National Homeland Security Conference in Chicago.
During the event, the Under Secretary participated in a Fireside Chat with FEMA Region 5 Administrator Thomas Sivak, delivered a keynote address that focused on preparing for the future, and hosted a small group roundtable with Chicago first responder leaders to discuss immediate and future challenges facing their responder community.
The conference provided the Under Secretary with an opportunity to engage with emergency managers and first responders across the nation and to hear directly from them about the challenges they are facing in their work to keep their communities safe, secure, and resilient.
Week of July 10-14, 2023
Under Secretary Kusnezov led a delegation from S&T to Ottawa to meet with Canadian and governmental partners to gain insight into shared security and science and technology priorities, as well as to discuss investments in mutual areas of interest.
The delegation engaged with Defense Research and Development Canada (DRDC), toured the University of Ottawa Advanced Research Complex, and met with the National Research Council Canada. The delegation also visited the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa where Under Secretary Kusnezov met with U.S. Ambassador to Canada David L. Cohen.
The meetings between S&T and our Canadian counterparts underscored the range of possibilities that our international partners can bring to our mission areas as we address current challenges and get ahead of what’s next.
Week of July 3 – 7, 2023
Under Secretary Kusnezov gave the keynote address at the commencement ceremony for the Master of Business Administration in Security Technology Transition (MBA-STT) program on July 6 at the George Washington University in Washington, DC.
The MBA-STT is a DHS S&T Center of Excellence and the commencement was of particular significance because it was the inaugural class of the program, marking a momentous day for both the graduates and DHS.
Under Secretary Kusnezov congratulated the graduates and recognized their perseverance to complete the two-and-a-half year program during the height of the COVID pandemic and while continuing to work full time as federal employees. He also recognized the promise of the graduates’ impact on the DHS mission, by bringing their critical skillsets and expertise in the field of security technology transition to help ensure that game-changing technology reaches those on the front lines.
Week of June 26-30, 2023
Under Secretary for Science and Technology Dimitri Kusnezov met with Japanese Cabinet Minister Tsuyoshi Hoshino at the Japanese Embassy in Washington, DC, on June 27 to further S&T’s commitment to establish a connection on science and technology research for homeland and national security. Mr. Hoshino is responsible for Science and Technology, Emergency Management and Economic Security within Prime Minister Kishida's administration.
The meeting was requested by the Science Counselor from the Embassy of Japan following the Under Secretary’s visit to Japan in March. S&T, through ICPO’s East Asia Regional Strategy, is exploring partnerships with the Government of Japan for digitalization objectives around its component mission areas.
Week of June 18-24, 2023
Under Secretary Kusnezov visited Norway on June 18-23 to connect with Norwegian research institutions and government agencies that lead Arctic science research. The engagement helped inform Department understanding of research needed to secure operations in the High North. Participating institutions included the Norwegian Polar Institute, FRAM Centre, University of Tromso, Arctic University of the North, Norwegian Science and Technology University, Arctic Council Secretariat, and representatives from Norwegian Ministries, such as the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, Ministry of Education and Research, and Ministry of Defence.
Dr. Kusnezov also visited Denmark as a guest aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Eagle while the Eagle was in port in Aalborg, Denmark. During his visit he met with USCG Academy cadets and leadership aboard the Eagle. The events were closed to the press.
Week of June 12-16, 2023
Under Secretary for Science and Technology Dimitri Kusnezov spoke on Jun 15-16 at Risks and Mitigation Strategies for Adversarial AI Threats, a two-day workshop organized by S&T, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the Homeland Security Systems Engineering and Development Institute at MITRE’s offices in McLean, VA.
The event gathered more than 80 experts across the federal government, research community, and partners from the European Union and Japan to characterize current threats, prepare for emerging ones, and understand how to approach the future of adversarial artificial intelligence (AAI).
A key theme was that generative AI has the potential to substantially benefit society, but government and industry must continue to work together to mitigate associated risks. As generative AI becomes faster and smarter, authentication and identity management will become increasingly important in building secure AI systems, as will keeping a human in the loop. As adversarial AI is more than just a U.S. problem, we discussed the potential for standards development in collaboration with our international partners.
The insights gained at this event will shape our strategies and R&D investments, and contribute to an upcoming report that will guide DHS’s participation in the AAI space.
Week of June 5-9, 2023
On June 8, Under Secretary Kusnezov and a delegation from S&T met with the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) for their annual Bilateral Meeting at DHS’ St. Elizabeth’s Campus. The meeting was part of a week of events in which DHS hosted our partners from MSB to discuss shared priorities around civil defense and resilient societies, including emergency management and response, understanding and responding to impacts of climate change, cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection.
The DHS-MSB Bilateral Meeting focused on research objectives, cooperation in climate resilience, and risk and resilient infrastructure. DHS S&T and MSB maintain multiple lines of effort and close cooperation across the homeland security mission space. This meeting further reinforced the importance of research and development in underpinning our collective response to challenges in national security. DHS S&T looks forward to furthering cooperative research programs with MSB over the next year.
