Counter WMD Official Shares How She Prepares for America’s Worst Day

Even though artificial intelligence (AI) is not advanced enough to help the average person build weapons of mass destruction, federal agencies know it could be possible and are keeping pace with next generation technologies through rigorous research and strategic partnerships.

It is a delicate balance, but as the leader of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office (CWMD) told a room full of Georgia Tech students, faculty, and staff, there is no room for error.

“You have to be right all the time, the bad guys only have to be right once,” said Mary Ellen Callahan, assistant secretary for CWMD.

As a guest of John Tien, former DHS deputy secretary and professor of practice in the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy as well as the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, Callahan was at Georgia Tech for three separate speaking engagements in late September.