Caleb Lucas

Associate Political Scientist

Pittsburgh Office

Education

Ph.D. in political science, Michigan State University; M.A. in political science, Michigan State University; B.A. in international studies, University of Kentucky

One Page Bio

Overview

Caleb Lucas is an associate political scientist at the RAND Corporation. He works in the Acquisition and Technology Policy Program and is also a Lecturer at the Carnegie Mellon Institute for Security and Technology (CMIST).

His research is primarily focused on the assessment of emerging technologies, with a special emphasis on artificial intelligence (AI) and its implications for national security. In particular, he has worked extensively with the special operations community to conduct capability reviews and evaluate potential investments in strategic technologies. His research has been published in or accepted at the Journal of Politics, Political Behavior, International Interactions, and Civil Wars.

Lucas earned his Ph.D. in political science from Michigan State University and completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research.

Research Focus

Commentary

Artificial Intelligence

Taking the Measure of AI and National Security
Transformative technologies should not be abandoned due to their risks. Instead, we should focus on understanding the threats, implementing necessary countermeasures, and utilizing the tools in a safer and more secure manner.
Sep 20, 2023
The National Interest

Publications

Report
The Operational Risks of AI in Large-Scale Biological Attacks: A Red-Team Approach
In this report, the authors address the emerging issue of identifying and mitigating the risks posed by the misuse of artificial intelligence—specifically, large language models—in the context of biological attacks and present preliminary findings.
Oct 16, 2023
Commentary
Australia's Sovereign Capability in Military Weapons
The authors of this Perspective discuss the objectives of Australia's Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance Enterprise and examine options to achieve these objectives.
Jul 5, 2023
Report
Establishing a Sovereign Guided Weapons Enterprise for Australia: International and Domestic Lessons Learned
The authors describe the relevance of five international case studies in relation to Australia's creation of a Sovereign Guided Weapons Enterprise, identified as a key priority by the government in its 2020 Defence Strategic Update.
Mar 21, 2022