Zhanna L. Shank

Senior Associate (Non-resident), Strategic Technologies Program
Zhanna Shank

Zhanna L. Shank, JD, is the founder and CEO of Systems Ethics Advisory LLC (SEA), a strategic advisory firm focused on the responsible governance of emerging and dual-use technologies. SEA advises leaders across government, industry, and academia on the ethical, societal, and geopolitical implications of innovations in AI, cybersecurity, space, quantum systems, and biosecurity. Zhanna is also a senior associate with the Strategic Technologies Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and serves as a professor with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, adjunct faculty at New York University’s Center for Global Affairs, and a nonresident fellow at the UN Institute for Disarmament Research. Previously, she was an assistant professor in the Systems Engineering Department at West Point and taught cyber warfare at the U.S. Air War College. A former captain and attorney in the U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps, she received her commission through MIT’s ROTC program and conducted research through the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program. Zhanna’s commentary has been featured by CNN, NBC, BBC, Politico, Nature, Physics Today, and more. She has held fellowships at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center, Duke Law, the Madeleine K. Albright Institute for Global Affairs, Stanford’s U.S.-Russia Forum, the U.S. Army Cyber Institute, and the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs. She holds a BA in Russian and international relations from Wellesley College, an MA and associateship of King’s College London, and a JD from UC Davis School of Law.

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The Quantum Man and the Sea of Risks

This commentary discusses navigating the sea of risks in defending against the malicious use of quantum technologies.

Commentary by Zhanna L. Shank — February 20, 2024

The Political Reality inside Metaverse Cities

The United Arab Emirates and South Korean governments are among the first wave of national governments investing in state-sponsored metaverse platforms.

Critical Questions by Zhanna L. Shank — October 17, 2022

Russia Launches ‘Musical’ Space Salvo

Russia's space agency recently produced a satirical music video showing the Russian segment of the International Space Station decoupling itself from the station. So just how worried should NASA be?

Commentary by Zhanna L. Shank — March 16, 2022

Make Haste Slowly for Quantum

Quantum computers could enable to gain a technical edge in cybersecurity, intelligence operations, and economic industry.

Commentary by Zhanna L. Shank — February 11, 2022