The overarching question imparting urgency to this exploration is: Can U.S.-Russian contention in cyberspace cause the two nuclear superpowers to stumble into war? In considering this question we were constantly reminded of recent comments by a prominent U.S. arms control expert: At least as dangerous as the risk of an actual cyberattack, he observed, is cyber operations’ “blurring of the line between peace and war.” Or, as Nye wrote, “in the cyber realm, the difference between a weapon and a non-weapon may come down to a single line of code, or simply the intent of a computer program’s user.”
Biography
Barath Harithas held diverse public service roles in Singapore spanning the US-China relationship, international trade and AI standards. He began his career in the Singapore Foreign Service focusing on key flashpoints in the US-China rivalry such as the South China Sea conflict, the trade war and escalating AI competition. He was subsequently a trade negotiator and was on the policy team for the Trans-Pacific-Partnership, the largest and most ambitious free trade agreement signed-to-date.
Most recently, Barath led the development of AI standards in Singapore and drafted its first ever ‘National AI Standards Roadmap’. As a key founding member of the first and only pan-Asian trade association, he advocated on digital issues for its 3,000 members across 29 Asia-Pacific countries.
Prior to his public service stint, Barath served in the Singapore Armed Forces as a Captain and graduated from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Social Sciences in Political Science.
Barath is a John F. Kennedy Fellow, a Belfer Young Leader and a Fulbright Scholar.
Last Updated: Sep 27, 2023, 3:35pm