PNNL Experts Share Their Insights at the Risk Reduction Science and Policy Forum

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) was well represented by mathematician and senior technical adviser Aaron Luttman and science and technology adviser Jonathan Forman at “The Risk Reduction Science and Policy Forum” organized by Johns Hopkins University and supported by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency.

The high-profile, invite-only forum was held in partnership with the Materials Science in Extreme Environments University Research Alliance (MSEE URA) and took place at the Hopkins Bloomberg Center in Washington, DC, on June 23-24, 2025.

The forum brought together prominent individuals from across the United States, including current National Laboratory directors, former directors of federal agencies, policy makers, and national security leaders.

The extended invitation to Forman and Luttman of PNNL highlighted the Lab's recognized expertise and ensured that its innovative approaches to national security challenges shaped both the discourse during and after the event.

Over the course of the two-day event, thought leaders explored the growing importance of scientific discovery and advancement in developing comprehensive risk reduction policies amid increasing global threats. Anchoring topics included weapons detection technology, compliance monitoring systems, and the role of artificial intelligence in threat assessment, with Luttman noting, "AI was a topic that pervaded the entire Forum."

Advancing attribution technologies for chemical and biological threats 

Forman represented PNNL on the first day in the “Chem/Bio Panel 1.1: Attribution Technologies for Chem/Bio-Events.” Forman, an expert in chemical and biological arms control, disarmament, and nonproliferation efforts, was joined by an independent adviser to several national security organizations and laboratories and a professor from Scripps Research. 

The panel addressed challenges in attributing chemical and biological weapons use and explored opportunities that emerging technologies could provide. Key themes in the discussion included:

• Impact of Malign Influence: Malign influence complicates decision-making by promoting inaccurate narratives that can undermine credibility—leading to decisions that might overlook critical gaps in evidence that should be addressed. 
• Enhanced Investigative Capabilities: If they can be “trusted," AI tools have the potential to interrogate and correlate a broad range of information streams—effectively improving investigative capabilities and the identification of perpetrators. 
• Comprehensive Information: To build strong cases and answer attribution-related questions, it is essential to bring together both technical and non-technical information. 

In his remarks, Forman emphasized a balanced approach to the integration of new technologies: "Emerging technologies can certainly provide capabilities and information that support attribution efforts in powerful ways.” He added, “However, such efforts require rigorous standards, and new technologies cannot simply replace traditional forensic approaches and standards when making consequential decisions about holding perpetrators of chemical or biological weapons attacks accountable.”

Leveraging AI for risk reduction 

Luttman, who specializes in combining advanced mathematics and data science to support national security applications, participated in the day-two panel, "Cross-Cutting Panel, AI/ML and Risk Reduction," alongside panelists from the Lincoln Laboratory at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Center for Security and Emerging Technology at Georgetown University. 

On his panel, Luttman noted, “We were excited to have a panel specifically to discuss both the national security risks introduced by AI and the risks that AI solutions can help to mitigate.” He continued, “The nuclear, chemical, and biological risk communities are all grappling with how to harness the power of AI without creating new vulnerabilities.”

Intersections of AI and national security policy 

Due to the ubiquitous nature of the topic of AI in the forum discourse, Luttman’s panel was able to focus their time on specific examples of where AI development and deployment are not only intersecting but also influencing national security policy—both at home and abroad: 

• Evolving Nuclear Forensics: Driven by recommendations from a National Academies report, U.S. nuclear forensics is transitioning from a clandestine capability to one focused on deterrence, with AI serving as a key technology enabling this strategic shift. 
• International Regulatory Adaptation: Major international bodies, such as the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, are utilizing AI to support the development of international policy frameworks. 
• Cybersecurity Transformation: AI is having a significant impact on both offensive and defensive cybersecurity capabilities—necessitating rapid policy evolution to address the changing nature and increase of cyber threats. 

Advancing national security

Reflecting on the event, Forman expressed, “It was a great honor to be asked to join this forum as an invited speaker and provide perspectives on open and ongoing issues of attribution for chemical and biological weapons use.”

PNNL’s participation in this high-level forum is just one example demonstrating the laboratory's commitment to developing science-based solutions for some of our most complex and pressing national security challenges. 

To learn more about the work that PNNL is doing across a multitude of capabilities to shape the future landscape of national security, visit here.