In recent years, China has been amassing a deep bench of sources and contacts to grow its network of spies in the United States. “It's a numbers game,” says RAND's Ian Mitch, “and China has the advantage.” What's more, these spies might be developing the skills to physically sabotage critical infrastructure should a U.S.-China conflict break out. That's why U.S. counterintelligence efforts must remain vigilant. Any sign that Washington is stepping back, Mitch says, “could embolden Beijing to become more aggressive with its operations on American soil.”

Primary care doctors spend an average of two hours per day filling out electronic health records. Could AI take over this task? RAND physician policy researchers Shira Fischer and Sarah Gebauer say that, while AI-generated medical notes have serious flaws—including biases, inaccuracies, and reliance on outdated guidelines—these pitfalls are human problems, too. If AI can help doctors focus on patient care, and its notes are comparable in quality to current documentation, then that could be a step forward.