Great power conflict is back, and the technologies used to win it are changing much faster than we can digest. This impacts U.S. national security in all arenas, particularly with respect to China, which is as much a technological and economic competitor as a military one. But while technologies are rapidly evolving, too many government institutions are stuck in outdated ways of thinking.

 

This year at the 14th annual Aspen Security Forum, we will explore the technological, security, economic, and geopolitical risks that lie just “over the horizon,” and work creatively and jointly to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.

 

As Henry Kissinger has recently warned, we may be living in a time similar to the run up to World War I, where all sides sleep-walked into conflict, and being “insufficiently familiar with how technology had enhanced their respective military forces . . . inflict[ed] unprecedented devastation.” Our goal at this year’s Aspen Security Forum is to wake up from that sleep-walking, and come together to tackle our shared challenges with imaginative, collaborative ideas.

 

The 2023 Aspen Security Forum will convene global leaders from Washington and the world over, international institutions, private sector C-suites, and civil society to address questions like:

 

How can the world work towards the responsible development and use of artificial intelligence?

 

How should we use the enormous U.S. defense budget far more efficiently to
prepare us for possible future conflicts using advanced technologies?

 

How can the U.S. and China de-escalate tensions and cooperate on issues of
common interest, such as climate change, AI, and nuclear nonproliferation,
amidst the backdrop of competition?

 

How will attempts to secure critical minerals and other resources affect the
geopolitical landscape?

 

What can be done to stop Russia’s aggression and help Ukraine rebuild and prosper?

 

How can we maintain our advantage in new domains of competition, from the
Arctic to the South Pacific and from the deep sea to outer space?

 

What should we do to prepare, educate, and retrain our workforce for the national security challenges of the future?

 

How can we work with partners and allies in emerging and under-supported regions to the benefit of our mutual interests?

 

Does the U.S. need a better, more forward-leaning business and economic strategy around the world? 

 

What is just out of sight that we should be directing our attention towards; what is over the horizon?

 

Thank you for joining us.

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See you in Aspen,

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Anja Manuel

Executive Director, Aspen Strategy Group and Aspen Security Forum