Washington, D.C. (April 22, 2026) — This morning, Helen Toner, Interim Executive Director at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET), testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary. The hearing, “Stealth Stealing: China’s Ongoing Theft of U.S. Innovation,” examined policy solutions to maintain U.S. technological leadership and strengthen U.S. intelle...
The strongest version of this narrative presents a clear and urgent concern: China’s systematic exploitation of U.S. AI innovation through distillation attacks, framed as a national security threat requiring policy intervention. Toner’s testimony is credible, grounded in her expertise and institutional backing, and her recommendations—such as threat intelligence sharing—are pragmatic. However, the narrative also carries subtle patterns worth noting. The framing of China’s actions as "stealth ste...