The interview emphasizes the growing significance of technology and cybersecurity in global Diplomacy. Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State, discusses the State Department's initiatives to tackle cybersecurity threats, highlighting innovative measures like the establishment of a new cybersecurity bureau. The department is focusing on training diplomats and personnel to address the interconnectivity of digital affairs with global policies, underlining the importance of digital solidarity in addressing challenges and leveraging opportunities in technology.

Antony Blinken shares his vision of a unified digital future, addressing challenges like the splintering of the internet and technology competition among global powers. He stresses the importance of drafting international norms, rules, and principles, particularly in the realm of AI, to ensure technology is used to benefit humanity. Blinken outlines measures to protect US technology and interests from being used as tools of repression or to enhance military capabilities in rival nations like China.

Main takeaways from the interview:

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Key Vocabularies and Common Phrases:

1. Opaque [oʊˈpeɪk] - (adj.) - Not transparent or difficult to understand or see through.

They're engaged, for example, right now at an extensive expansion of their nuclear program. Very Opaque.

2. Repress [rɪˈprɛs] - (v.) - To suppress or restrain by force or authority.

Also, technologies unfortunately used to repress people, surveillance, repress their human rights.

3. Consensus [kənˈsɛnsəs] - (n.) - General agreement or harmony among a group.

The State Department went out and has worked to basically internationalize those commitments, those principles.

4. Resilient [rɪˈzɪliənt] - (adj.) - Able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions.

We have to have supply chains that are not only Resilient, but are diversified.

5. Intrusion [ɪnˈtruːʒən] - (n.) - An act of entering a place or situation where one is unwelcome or uninvited.

Last July, of course, the State Department was the one that actually discovered the Chinese Intrusion of Microsoft systems...

6. Solidarity [ˌsɒlɪˈdærɪti] - (n.) - Unity or agreement of feeling or action among individuals with a common interest.

We want to make sure that as we're protecting, as opposed to promoting technology, we're doing it in a way that has the smallest possible yard along with the highest possible fence.

7. Diplomacy [dɪˈploʊməsi] - (n.) - The profession, activity, or skill of managing international relations.

We have to make sure that we're protecting our values and protecting our interests.

8. Deterrence [dɪˈtɜːrəns] - (n.) - The act of preventing or discouraging an action, particularly through fear of the consequences.

Common approaches, to build solidarity there. Because so many companies, so many countries are afflicted with the scourge of ransomware.

9. Sovereignty [ˈsɒvrɪnti] - (n.) - Supreme power or authority; the authority of a state to govern itself.

I wonder if you could talk a little bit about the effort to build not digital Sovereignty, but digital solidarity.

10. Surveillance [sərˈveɪləns] - (n.) - Close observation, especially of a suspected spy or criminal.

Authoritarian regimes using the Internet as a surveillance tool.

The Global Tech Tug-of-War Unveiled

They're engaged, for example, right now in an extensive expansion of their nuclear program, the highest end chips. We want to make sure that China is not able to acquire those and then feed them directly into its military program. Wired sat down with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to talk about emerging technology and cybersecurity. This is the big interview.

Mister Secretary, thanks so much for sitting with us today. Great to be with you. I want to ask you a little bit about the way that you have prioritized cybersecurity at the department here. Last July, of course, the State Department was the one that actually discovered the Chinese Intrusion of Microsoft systems, which, for those of us who cover cybersecurity, was shocking that the State Department would be the originator of discovering an event. It was a little surprising for me, too, both a pleasant surprise, because I was very proud of the fact that we have remarkable people in place who are able to do that.

But of course, when you have any kind of cyber Intrusion, it's a deep concern, and it's an ongoing concern for the government. It's exactly why we tried to make this department, among other things, fit for purpose. When it comes to cybersecurity, one of the things that you have done is create this new cybersecurity bureau with Ambassador Nate Fick. I wonder if you could talk a little bit about the effort to build not digital Sovereignty, but digital solidarity.

Look, what we've seen, what I've seen since coming back to the State Department three and a half years ago, is that everything happening in the technological world and in cyberspace is increasingly central to our foreign policy. It's central because we see extraordinary possibility in actually making a difference on critical issues that matter to people around the world and matter to our own people. Whether it's health, whether it's education, whether it's climate.

We also see the vulnerabilities and the dangers. We know that what's happening at home and what's happening around the world are increasingly connected. So we wanted to make sure that we're taking account of that in the way we set ourselves up, the way we attract talent, and the way we conduct our Diplomacy.

There's almost a perfect storm. Several major developments that have really brought this to the forefront of what we're doing and what we need to do. First, we have a new generation of Foundational technologies that are literally changing the world all at the same time. So whether it's AI, whether it's quantum, whether it's microelectronics, biotech, telecoms, they're having a profound impact and increasingly, their conversion and feeding off of each other.

Second, we're seeing that the line between the digital and physical worlds is evaporating, erasing. We have cars, we have ports, we have hospitals that are huge and affect data centers. With so much information being generated or coming in, big vulnerabilities. And at the same time, we have increasingly rare materials that are critical to be able to advance technology and fragile supply chains.

In each of these areas, the state Department is taking action. And then finally, we have to look at everything in terms of stacks, the hardware, the software, the talent, and the norms, the rules, the standards by which this technology is used. All of this is coming together. And the bottom line is our country has to be at the height of competitiveness if we're going to make sure that we're covering all of these areas and making sure that we're maximizing the good and minimizing the bad.

This administration has made extraordinary investments, as you know, in our technology, the Chips and Science act, the so called Inflation Reduction act, which is the biggest investment in climate technology in history. And between the public and the private, we've generated $3.5 trillion of investment. It's an incredibly powerful thing because countries see the investments we've made in ourselves, in our own competitiveness, and they want to work with us.

So I want to make sure that we have the diplomats who are trained and able not only to engage, but to lead all of these conversations around the world. We've now trained more than 200 cybersecurity and digital officers, people who are genuinely expert. And that means every one of our embassies around the world will have at least one person who is truly fluent in tech and in digital policy.

My goal is to make sure that across the entire department, we have basic literacy, ideally fluency, and even eventually, mastery. Your tenure here at Faye Bottom has coincided with what feels like the fracturing of the dream of the global Internet. And we've begun to see the splintering into a European regulatory web, authoritarian regimes using the Internet as a surveillance tool.

Overseas, of course, we've seen this played out in US policy on Huawei and TikTok. I wonder if you could talk a little bit about your view of the future of the Internet. Ideally, we don't have that fracture, and certainly that would be the preference. And we've done a number of things, actually, to try to move in another direction, to try to build broad Consensus on the way technology is used, because these rules, these norms, these standards. That's absolutely critical.

And the conversations about this often happen in windowless rooms, maybe at the UN, maybe halfway around the world. Not only are we at the table, we want to be at the head of the table. Let me give you an example on AI. We had incredible work done by the White House to develop basic principles with the Foundational companies that were engaged in this, the voluntary commitments that they made.

The State Department went out and has worked to basically internationalize those commitments, those principles. We have a G seven code of conduct, the leading democratic economies of the world all agreeing to basic principles with a focus on safety.

We managed to get the very first resolution ever on artificial intelligence through the United Nations General Assembly, 192 countries also signing up to basic principles on safety and a focus of using AI to advance sustainable development goals. These are the goals that the entire world has set to try to move the world forward on things like health, education, climate.

And we also have more than 50 countries that are signed on to basic principles on the responsible military use of AI. So the goal here is not to have a world that is bifurcated in any way. It's to try to bring everyone together. Having said that, you're right. There are areas where, of course, we're in intense competition with other countries. And if we can't come together on rules that make sure that we're elevating the good and minimizing the bad, well, we have to make sure we're protecting our values and protecting our interests.

For example, when it comes to the highest end technology, say the highest end chips that we have, we want to make sure that country, like China, is not able to acquire those and then feed them directly into its military program. They're engaged, for example, right now at an extensive expansion of their nuclear program. Very Opaque. It's not in our interest to have the highest end technology we have go right into that.

Also, technologies unfortunately used to repress people, surveillance, repress their human rights. We want to make sure our technology is not used for that. As we've said, we want to make sure that as we're protecting, as opposed to promoting technology, we're doing it in a way that has the smallest possible yard along with the highest possible fence. Because broadly speaking, we want technology to get out there.

We see it profoundly as a source for good, for progress. We want to make sure it's shared widely and broadly. And this is this notion of solidarity. We want to be collaborating, cooperating, working with other countries, building capacity, sharing knowledge, helping everyone solve these common problems. But for discrete parts of the ecosystem, we have to make sure we're protected.

We have to have supply chains that are not only Resilient, but are diversified. So we're not dependent on any one place for any critical input. We went through Covid, we saw where that can lead. We don't want to see the same thing on critical technology. So the goal, the hope, is to develop the broadest possible Consensus.

But in certain areas, if we have to, yes, we're going to make sure that we're well protected. Let me ask you also about Russia and ransomware, another issue that has defined your tenure in the Biden administration's national security agenda over the last couple of years.

Is there more that the United States and the western alliance could be doing to push Russia to be a better actor online, or do you see this as an Intractable problem going forward? Look, it's an ongoing challenge, and the invasion of Ukraine happened. It's obviously made the entire relationship much more difficult than it already was.

And so I think unfortunately, there probably limits as to what we can achieve. Having said that, we're also working increasingly collaboratively, not only with the private sector, but also with other countries, to develop common strategies, to develop common approaches, to build solidarity there.

Because so many companies, so many countries are afflicted with the scourge of ransomware. We're sharing information, we're sharing best practices, and we're looking at what kind of collective action can be taken to deter and Disincentivize those who might be engaged in ransomware or those who are supporting it.

Mister Secretary, thanks so much for sitting with Wired for the big interview. Great to be with you, Gary. Thank you.

Technology, Cybersecurity, Diplomacy, Global, Innovation, Supply Chains