Speakers

Michael Kuiken is a Commissioner on the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission and a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution. He also advises the Special Competitive Studies Project and consults globally with CEOs, boards, and senior leaders across AI, defense, and technology sectors.

Prior to his appointment, Kuiken served nearly 23 years in the U.S. Senate, including as National Security Advisor to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer—the chamber’s most senior national security staff role. He led the successful effort to pass the CHIPS and Science Act and helped launch the Senate’s Artificial Intelligence Insight Forums. He also spent over a decade on the Senate Armed Services Committee and began his career with Senator Carl Levin.

Over his career, Kuiken has been deeply involved in nearly every major national security issue of the past two decades, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the rise of ISIS, U.S.-China strategic competition, and Russia’s actions in Ukraine. He has traveled to more than 75 countries and visited every major war zone since 9/11.

He holds a B.A. in Political Science and Economics from Calvin College and an M.A. in International Commerce and Policy from George Mason University.