Yasir Atalan

Associate Data Fellow, Futures Lab, International Security Program
Yasir Atalan

Yasir Atalan is an associate fellow in the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). He is also a PhD candidate in political science at American University. At CSIS, his research delves into technology and its implications for international security, with a special emphasis on AI in future warfare. His dissertation is centered on civil-military relations, elite politics, and the diffusion of instabilities. As a graduate fellow at the Center for Data Science, Mr. Atalan has been an active contributor to computational social science projects. He also serves as a replication analyst for the Political Analysis journal at Cambridge University Press. Mr. Atalan earned his MA in Middle Eastern studies from King’s College London and a BS in political science and international relations from Bogazici University.

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Audio Briefs

The Future of NATO’s Southern Flank

An audio version of “The Future of NATO’s Southern Flank,” a new commentary by CSIS’s Yasir Atalan. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Yasir Atalan — July 16, 2024

Audio Briefs
Audio Briefs

Calibrating NATO’s Vision of AI-Enabled Decision Support

An audio version of “Calibrating NATO’s Vision of AI-Enabled Decision Support,” a new commentary by CSIS’s Ian Reynolds and Yasir Atalan. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Ian Reynolds and Yasir Atalan — July 13, 2024

Audio Briefs

The Future of NATO’s Southern Flank

In the future, NATO must see its southern and eastern flanks as interconnected geopolitical spaces. Such a view necessitates adopting a holistic strategy that minimizes intra-alliance confrontations and builds deeper political integration with the southern flank.

Commentary by Yasir Atalan — July 10, 2024

Calibrating NATO’s Vision of AI-Enabled Decision Support

In the future, NATO will be the global test case for the integration of artificial intelligence with military operations, setting the standards for interoperability, organizational applications, and responsible use of AI. 

Commentary by Ian Reynolds and Yasir Atalan — July 8, 2024

Algorithmic Stability: How AI Could Shape the Future of Deterrence

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are reshaping national security and crisis management. This report delves into the future of deterrence and the role of human judgment in an AI-focused crisis simulation.

Report by Benjamin Jensen, Yasir Atalan, and Jose M. Macias III — June 10, 2024

It Is Time to Democratize Wargaming Using Generative AI

If more people, from academics and concerned citizens to military professionals and civil servants, gained access to generative AI tools and understood how to integrate them into analytical wargames, the result would be a more diverse set of ideas guiding foreign policy.

Commentary by Benjamin Jensen, Yasir Atalan, and Dan Tadross — February 22, 2024

Why Pausing LNG Exports Is Bad Foreign Policy

The recent decision by the Biden administration to pause licenses for LNG export facilities creates long-term national security risks amid geopolitical turmoil without substantially addressing the climate concerns.

Commentary by Benjamin Jensen and Yasir Atalan — February 12, 2024