Dimitri Kusnezov, Ph.D., was vice president for science and technology. In this role, he led NTI’s work to address the threats and opportunities associated with AI and emerging technologies at the intersection of nuclear and biosecurity.
Kusnezov served as the Under Secretary for Science and Technology in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from September 8, 2022, until January 10, 2025. As the science advisor to the Homeland Security Secretary, Kusnezov led the research, development, innovation and testing and evaluation activities in support of the Department and first responders across the nation.
Prior to DHS, Kusnezov served in numerous scientific and national security positions, including as a theoretical physicist working at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) focusing on emerging technologies as Deputy Under Secretary for Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Technology. He was Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Energy, Chief Scientist for the National Nuclear Security Administration, Director of Advanced Simulation and Computing and the Director of the National Security Science, Technology and Engineering programs. He created numerous government programs, working across agencies, and with international partners, private sector, and philanthropic entities.
Prior to government service, Kusnezov worked in academia. He served on the Yale University faculty, where he was a professor for more than a decade in Theoretical Physics and served as a visiting professor at numerous universities around the world. Kusnezov completed a postdoc and was an instructor at Michigan State University, following a year of research at the Institut fur Kernphysik, KFA-Julich, in Germany. He earned his MS in Physics and Ph.D. in Theoretical Nuclear Physics at Princeton University and received Bachelor of Arts degrees in Physics and in Pure Mathematics with highest honors from UC Berkeley.
The U.S. ended explosive nuclear testing in the 1990s, but that does not mean we are unprepared. In its place, the U.S. uses a science-based program that checks the health of the stockpile continuously and reports out every year to the President.
Unlike past technological disruptions to global security which were driven by governments, market forces and business dominate today’s global innovation space. This includes working not only with thought leaders, but the doers that affect change. The latest FutureSafe Innovation Forum welcomed Dr. Kimberly Budil, Director of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, to discuss the future of national security science.
Exploring how rapid advances in science and converging technologies are reshaping global security.
Examining the implications of AI and other emerging technologies for nuclear security – both opportunities and challenges.
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