Abstract

Existing scholarship suggests that elites are sensitive to episodes in which their country loses international status, and that they can deal with these episodes by striving for achievement elsewhere, such as by arms racing or winning wars. I theorize and test an alternative strategy: elites can use deflection narratives to downplay the situation and externalize the blame to ameliorate the domestic public’s sense of status loss. Yet, the same narratives can lead international actors to believe that the deflecting actor has malign motives, creating escalation spirals. Through parallel survey experiments in China and the US, I find that Chinese respondents who are exposed to China’s deflection narratives are less likely to see diplomatic snubs as being harmful to China’s status. Yet, the same narratives trigger US respondents to think that China is more threatening and increase their support for enhancing US deterrence against China. I contextualize these findings by tracing the construction and consequences of China’s deflection narratives in the South China Sea from 2009-2019, through a combination of an original dataset of People’s Daily coverage of the disputes and personal interviews with senior US military and diplomatic officials. My argument provides the theoretical basis for an expanded security dilemma theory where misperception and spirals are driven by status concerns and misinformation – not necessarily by survival concerns and arming policy under anarchy. It also has implications for US grand strategy towards China and Russia, which tend to use deflection narratives to spin international events for domestic consumption, but in the process compromising their political relations with the US.

About the Speaker

Alex Yu-Ting Lin is Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Global Affairs at the University of British Columbia.

He is also a nonresidential affiliated faculty at the University of Notre Dame’s International Security Center.

Alex studies the causes and strategies of revisionism, with a focus on US-China relations and Asian security. His book project, Contestation from Below, theorizes how smaller states shape when and why rising powers become dissatisfied with their status and seek to revise the international order. An article from the book project received the Patricia Weitsman award from the International Security Studies Section (ISSS), International Studies Association (ISA). His other research examines how states pursue their revisionist aims within international institutions or through information warfare.

His academic work has been published by European Journal of International Relations, International Studies Quarterly, Review of International Political Economy, among others. His policy work has been published by The Diplomat and has received inquiries from the Parliament of Australia.

He received his PhD in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Southern California. He has held research fellowships with the Institute for Security and Conflict Studies at the George Washington University and the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University.

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly deployed in safety-critical and mission-critical environments, making effective incident response essential. Unlike traditional IT systems, AI introduces new risks such as adversarial attacks, data poisoning, model drift, and unpredictable system behaviour. This webinar will bring together experts to discuss how organizations can prepare for, detect, and respond to incidents in AI systems. Speakers will explore both technical safeguards and governance measures, offering practical insights on building resilience, ensuring accountability, and learning from incidents to strengthen future AI deployments.

About the Speakers

Paul Starrett is a legal and technology expert with over 25 years of experience spanning law, data governance, and AI. He has served as General Counsel and CRO of a publicly held AI and data management company, taught graduate-level courses on AI governance and cybersecurity law, and contributed to the IAPP’s AI Governance Certification. With a background in predictive analytics, e-discovery, and software engineering, he brings a cross-disciplinary approach to helping organizations address risks in AI systems.

Sean McGregor, PhD is a machine learning safety researcher whose efforts have included starting up the Digital Safety Research Institute at the UL Research Institutes, launching the AI Incident Database, and training edge neural network models for the neural accelerator startup Syntiant. Outside his day jobs, Sean’s opensource development work has earned media attention in the Atlantic, Der Spiegel, Wired, Venture Beat, Vice, and O’Reilly while his technical publications have appeared in a variety of proceedings.

Heather Frase, PhD is the CEO of Veraitech and Senior Advisor for Testing & Evaluation of AI at Virginia Tech’s National Security Institute. Her diverse career spans roles in defense, intelligence, policy, and financial crime. Her current work focuses on developing and supporting the evaluation of AI systems, improving reliability, and aligning performance with real-world use. She also serves on the OECD’s Network of Experts on AI and on the board of the Responsible AI Collaborative, which researches and documents AI incidents.

Jey Kumarasamy is a Legal Director in ZwillGen’s AI Division, where he advises technology companies on complex legal and technical issues involving AI. With a background in computer science, he leads in-depth assessments of AI systems, including red teaming, benchmarking, and bias audits, for performance, safety, and compliance. He also advises on emerging AI laws and governance standards, blending legal strategy with practical technical insight. Previously, Jey was a Senior Associate at Luminos.Law, where he advised clients on AI governance and model Audits.

About the Chairperson

Asha Hemrajani is Senior Fellow at the Centre of Excellence in National Security (CENS) at RSIS. Her research covers digital infrastructure, emerging technologies, cybersecurity, information and data security, Critical Information Infrastructure (CII), Artificial Intelligence safety/security as well as the intersection of geopolitics and technologies in the spheres of national security, disinformation and terrorism.

Ms. Hemrajani’s experience spans network engineering, strategy, regulatory in the mobile communications, domain names and cybersecurity sectors. She has also been invited by the editors of Oxford Intersections and the Marine Policy Journal to review academic journals on the topics of AI in terrorism and undersea cables.

She was formerly a member of the Board of Directors at ICANN, the global domain names regulator. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and a ModularMaster in Cybersecurity by Design.

Abstract

For AI governance to reflect societal values, it must be grounded in active public participation and a clear understanding of public opinion. Without meaningful public engagement, some AI governance policies could inadvertently undermine rights and weaken trust. Too often, emerging technologies are shaped by industry and policymakers, while the wider public is sidelined. Integrating public perspectives into innovation frameworks fosters AI ecosystems that are both robust and socially sustainable. As countries pursue AI ambitions, progress must be balanced with safeguards for public safety and security.

In this session, Merve Hickok, President of the Center for AI and Digital Policy (CAIDP), will discuss democratic values such as mechanisms for public participation, impact assessments, independent oversight, and contestable frameworks that embed the public’s voice throughout the AI lifecycle, thereby ensuring that AI remains accountable and human-centric. Hickok will also share the objectives and findings from the annual publication CAIDP Index which provides a comparative analysis of national AI policies of 80 countries.

Hickok’s talk will be followed by the launch of two policy reports by the Future Issues & Technology (FIT) Cluster in RSIS (Karryl Kim Trajano and Ysa Marie Cayabyab), done in collaboration with the Centre for Information Integrity and the Internet (IN-cube) of the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information (WKWSCI), NTU Singapore.

The first report, “Navigating Public Opinion on AI in Singapore: Awareness, Perceptions and Vulnerabilities” presents findings from a national survey on public perceptions of AI in Singapore. It examines AI diffusion, awareness, and vulnerabilities, revealing gaps in knowledge, a widening AI divide, and concerns over harm and ethics. The report stresses that stronger governance and public engagement are needed to harness AI’s benefits while safeguarding society.

The second report, “Trust as a Strategic Asset: AI and Domestic Confidence in Singapore amid US-China Dynamics” (in press) explores public trust in AI adoption, R&D, and regulation. While support for AI is broad, confidence varies: domestic institutions enjoy high trust, while international organisations and major powers like the US and China face scepticism. These findings underline that public attitudes are context-specific, and future policy must build on local trust.

Together, the three presentations will highlight the importance of embedding public voices in governance to safeguard democracy, strengthen legitimacy, and build resilient AI ecosystems.

About the Speakers

Merve Hickok is the President of Center for AI & Digital Policy (CAIDP). She is a globally renowned, award-winning AI policy, ethics and governance professional. CAIDP educates AI policy practitioners and advocates across 120+ countries, and advises international organizations. Merve previously testified at the US Congress, State of California, New York City and Detroit City. She provides AI policy expertise to OECD.AI, UNESCO, GPAI and the Council of Europe. Merve Hickok is also the founder of AIethicist.org. Her work focuses on impact of AI systems on individuals, businesses and society. Merve is the author of “From Trustworthy AI Principles to Public Procurement Practices.”

Karryl Kim Sagun Trajano is a Research Fellow for Future Issues and Technology (FIT) at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. She specialises in strategic and policy research on emerging and frontier technologies (AI, space, quantum, and novel energy sources). Her interdisciplinary work focuses on technology governance in the Asia-Pacific, working with technical experts and social scientists to assess policy implications. She is the PI of the multi-year project “Multi-stage Investigation of Expert and Public Opinion on Key Emerging Technologies in Singapore,” which examines shifting stakeholder perspectives on critical technologies.

Ysa Marie Cayabyab is Associate Research Fellow for FIT at RSIS. She possesses extensive research experience in digital media, consumer research, and health communication. Her work spans the design and evaluation of digitally-mediated communication systems and the adoption and diffusion of emerging technologies. She has conducted studies on user engagement with web- and mobile-based applications and has validated several instruments to measure and track attitudinal and behavioural trends.

About the Chairperson

Benjamin Ang is Senior Fellow and Head of the Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS), oversees Future Issues in Technology (FIT), as well as Head of Digital Impact Research (DIR) at RSIS.

At FIT, he leads the team exploring policy issues in artificial intelligence, space, quantum technology, smart cities, biotechnology, and other emerging technologies.

Conference Abstract

The Distortions, Rumours, Untruths, Misinformation, and Smears (DRUMS) conference will explore how advancements in technology, global shifts in power dynamics, and ongoing conflicts have influenced the landscape of information manipulation and interference. The panels will highlight policy-oriented perspectives and address a broad spectrum of themes and information environments across various regions

Who Should Attend

Policy-makers, academics, and other experts who are: (a) concerned about DRUMS, (b) focused on their sociopolitical implications, and (c) interested in efforts to counter these threats. 

Confirmed Panels & Speakers (as of 6 October 2025)

Keynote Speech (with Questions and Answer)

• Clint Watts, General Manager, Microsoft Threat Analysis Centre, United States

Panel 1: Trends in Information Landscape (with Question & Answer)

• Dr Carol Soon, Deputy Head and Associate Professor, Department of Communications and New Media, National University of Singapore, Singapore
• Prof Dr Sahana Udupa, Professor of Media Anthropology, LMU Munich, Germany and BKC Faculty Associate, Harvard University
• Dr Rumena Filipova, Founder, Institute for Global Analytics, Bulgaria

Panel 2: Use of AI for Strategic Communications (with Questions & Answer)

• Darius Buta, Senior Advisor, National Crisis Management Centre of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania
• Dr Surachanee Sriyai, Visiting Fellow, ISEAS-Yusuf Ishak Institute, Singapore
• Jeremy Au Yong, Associate Editor, The Straits Times, Singapore

Panel 3: Global Case Studies on Information Manipulation and Interference (with Questions & Answer)

• Dr Benjamin YH Loh, Lecturer, Monash University Malaysia, Malaysia
• Summer Chen, Founder, FactLink, Taiwan
• Benjamin Shultz, Lead Researcher, American Sunlight Project, United States

Panel 4: Strategies to Manage Disinformation (with Question & Answer)

• Jacobo Quintanilla, Programme Manager, Social Media & Conflict Mediation, Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), Switzerland
• Angie D. Holan, Director, International Fact-Checking Network, Poynter Institute, United States
• Dr Chew Han Ei, Senior Research Fellow, Institute of Policy Studies, Singapore

About the speaker

Dr Eddy Soeparno is Deputy Speaker of People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) of the Republic of Indonesia (2024 – now) and concurrently a member of parliament in Commission XII, which oversees energy and mineral resources, environment, and investment (2024 – now). Dr. Soeparno also holds the position of Secretary General of the National Mandate Party (PAN). He earned his PhD in political science from University of Indonesia in 2024. Prior to entering politics, Eddy Soeparno spent 27 years working in the investment banking and finance industry in Hong Kong and Singapore.