Bridging Innovation and Ethics: A Strategic Approach to Responsible tech Design

Audrey Kurth Cronin, Director, Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy and Technology

Audrey Kurth Cronin is the Director of the Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy and Technology (CMIST) at Carnegie Mellon University. She is a leading scholar in terrorism, technology, and international security and the Trustees Professor of Security & Technology. Her research focuses on how emerging and widely available technologies are transforming modern conflict and empowering non-state actors.

Audrey Kurth Cronin is also the author of How Terrorism Ends and Power to the People. She shared her expert insights for the 2026 edition of Education Technology Insights.

1. As Director of Carnegie Mellon's Institute for Strategy and Technology, what inspired you to take on this role, and how has your career journey shaped the way you lead the institute today?

I think this role is the perfect synthesis of everything I have been working towards. I have spent much of my career studying what happens when powerful technologies become accessible to everyone, including those who want to harm. Whether I was on Capitol Hill after 9/11, directing research at Oxford, or examining how terrorists exploit drones and AI, I kept seeing the same pattern: innovation races ahead while our strategic thinking lags. At CMIST, I convene those who can change that equation, including engineers who understand technical possibilities, scientists who dig deeply into the natural world, policymakers who grasp institutional constraints, and strategists who consider second- and third-order effects. These problems cannot be solved within a single discipline or sector. So, I run CMIST the way I have learned to work: bringing diverse perspectives together, staying nimble, and never assuming we have all the answers.

2. How has your research on the advances of digital technology and security trends equipped you to tackle the challenges of today's technology landscape?

My research has focused on how technologies developed with good intentions are misused by malicious actors. I have tracked how terrorists weaponize commercial drones, how extremists exploit social media algorithms, and how 3-D printing democratizes manufacturing in both wonderful and terrifying ways. This has given me a "dual use mindset" for assessing emerging technology, immediately weighing its promise and peril in a balanced way. That perspective is essential now because the pace of technological diffusion is faster than ever. AI tools that were cutting-edge research projects two years ago are now consumer products. The same synthetic biology techniques that could cure diseases could also engineer pathogens. Understanding that dynamic of how quickly innovation spreads and mutates prepares me to think strategically about where we are headed, not just where we are.

3. How can technical teams and policy experts collaborate to improve the development and use of secure and responsible digital technologies?

They need to actually talk to each other, and not just present at each other in panel discussions. Technologists often think policymakers are slow and out of touch. Policymakers often think technologists are naïve about power and consequences. There's truth on both sides, which is why we need structured opportunities for genuine collaboration. At CMIST, we bring technologists and policymakers together through our Scientists and Strategists series, white paper projects, and convenings in both Pittsburgh and Washington, DC. We do not hand them abstract scenarios; we ask them to wrestle with real problems together. The crucial step here is timing; these conversations need to happen during the design phase, not after technologies are deployed and creating fallout. We are building co-creation, not after-the-fact consultation.

“Responsible innovation means we are accountable for the celebrated breakthroughs and for the longer-term human consequences.”

4. What are some of the pressing challenges you face in your role, and how are you addressing them?

The biggest challenge is velocity. Many technologies move at exponential speed while institutions—and indeed, most human thinking!--move more slowly. By the time we convene stakeholders and develop a thoughtful policy framework, the technology has evolved into something different. We address this problem by being selective and strategic. We can't tackle every emerging technology, so we focus on the ones with the greatest potential for disruption and impact. We also operate more like a startup than a traditional research center, with a small team, flat hierarchy, and quick decision-making. Another challenge is ensuring our work matters beyond academic circles. I can publish many academic journal articles, but if congressional staffers and Pentagon planners are not reading and understanding them, we have failed. In addition to my active academic research and publication, I prioritise public engagement, op-eds, testimonies, and workshops with my colleagues to ensure our research directly informs decision-makers, constantly translating between worlds.

5. How can technologies be designed and implemented to align with ethical principles and have a positive impact on society?

Ethical concepts must be integrated from the start, not bolted on at the end. This involves asking uncomfortable questions early, such as who benefits from this technology, who might be harmed, and what are the downstream consequences we are not considering? These questions require bringing in people beyond the engineering team: Ethicists for moral frameworks, historians for precedents, social scientists for community impact and reshaping societies, and private industry representatives for market forces. One thing I've learned from studying how terrorists exploit technology is that systems are always used in ways their designers never imagined. Responsible innovation means building in safeguards, being humble about what we do not know, studying the full impact on people, and creating mechanisms for course correction. It is not about slowing down innovation; it is about being smarter and more intentional in how we pursue it.

6. Which emerging advancements do you find most promising, and how are they likely to transform the industry and society in the coming years?

Synthetic biology is the most dynamic technology, both in good and bad ways. Editing genes has become as accessible as editing code. On the positive side, the advances are extraordinary: personalized medicines, climate-resilient crops, microorganisms that tackle pollution or produce sustainable materials. Combined with various AI tools, the pace of change in biological sciences is exponential. The use of AI enables discoveries, experimental design, modeling tools, and faster, broader data analysis. We are seeing breakthroughs in treating genetic diseases that have plagued humanity for millennia. But synthetic biology is also following the same pattern we have seen in other breakthrough technologies, like the democratization of access, minus suitable countermeasures and technological foresight. Unlike nuclear weapons, which require highly controlled state infrastructure and resources, commercial incentives drive biotechnology, and the barrier to entry is low. The transformation will be profound, and synthetic biology will reshape medicine, agriculture, and manufacturing, but unfortunately, it will also create a range of new security threats. How we manage this technology in the next few years, through proactive strategies or reactive measures, will determine whether it stands as one of humanity's greatest achievements or gravest risks.

7. In your view, what leadership qualities and skills are essential for professionals who aim to guide and lead the responsible development and use of emerging technologies?

The top quality is intellectual humility. The landscape shifts constantly, and yesterday's certainties become tomorrow's outdated assumptions. Second is the ability to operate across disciplines and sectors. You cannot lead in this space if you speak only one language, whether that is computer science, political science, engineering or strategy. You must be comfortable translating between them, or your work will become irrelevant. Third, a form of moral courage is required. Responsible innovation means accountability for both the celebrated breakthroughs and longer-term human consequences. Finally is persistence paired with adaptability. The challenges we face do not have quick solutions, and the approaches must constantly evolve. I often tell students to stay focused on the big questions but flexible in how they pursue them. Never stop reading, exploring, and learning with an open mind, because the moment you think you've mastered your field, it has already transformed into something new.

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