CLTC is pleased to announce that Nada Madkour, Ph.D., will serve as Director for our AI Security Initiative (AISI), a premier academic program dedicated to shaping standards and guardrails to prevent the harmful impacts of AI technologies.
Dr. Madkour joined CLTC as a Non-Resident Research Fellow in early 2024, and has served as Interim Director of the AISI since February 2026. Her expertise spans AI risk management for agentic AI systems and transparency for general-purpose AI; her work translates technical safety research into practical, implementable governance frameworks for developers and policymakers.
Dr. Madkour has co-authored several key reports published by AISI, including the recently updated AI Risk-Management Standards Profile for General-Purpose AI (GPAI) and Foundation Models (“GPAI Profile”). Other publications that Nada authored (or co-authored) include:
- Agentic AI Risk Management Standards Profile
- Toward Risk Thresholds for AI-Enabled Cyber Threats: Enhancing Decision-Making Under Uncertainty with Bayesian Networks
- Intolerable Risk Threshold Recommendations for Artificial Intelligence
- Benchmark Early and Red Team Often: A Framework for Assessing and Managing Dual-Use Hazards of AI Foundation Models
Dr. Madkour serves on a range of critical AI governance bodies, including the NIST AI Consortium, ISO AI standards committees, the World Economic Forum Safe Systems and Technologies working group, and the EU AI Act Code of Practice on marking and labelling of AI-generated content working groups. She is also involved in AI security initiatives in California: she was recently appointed as the chair of the Emerging Technology Subcommittee, which advises the Governance Board and the California Cybersecurity Integration Center (Cal-CSIC) on implementation of AI laws. Her Ph.D. in Technology (Information Assurance, AI Risk Assessment) is from Eastern Michigan University.
“We are excited that Nada Madkour will be staying on to lead the AI Security Initiative at this pivotal moment, as AI technologies are proliferating rapidly, and the security risks are growing in scale, scope, and urgency,” says Ann Cleaveland, Executive Director of CLTC. “Nada’s experience and global perspective on AI standards and risk management will help the AISI advance new research while training and mentoring the next generation of talent.”
“I am grateful to step into this role at a moment when the need for AI safety and security has never been greater,” Madkour says. “Alongside the exceptional AISI/CLTC team, I look forward to continuing to produce AI standards and policy research that translates in real-world impact and reflects our commitment to AI governance in the public interest.”
About the AI Security Initiative (AISI)
The AI Security Initiative is a leading center for the research and development of AI risk management standards, helping developers and policymakers stay a step ahead of emerging threats by conducting actionable research on AI risk analysis and measurement, developing technical guidance for safety thresholds, and serving as a neutral convening platform for multidisciplinary experts.
This work directly shapes policy and standards at the highest levels. AISI’s flagship publication, the GPAI Profile, builds on the NIST AI Risk Management Framework (RMF) and is the only non-government resource listed in the NIST AI RMF page. AISI’s work also drives global AI deliberations; our researchers have provided their expertise to groups such as the EU GPAI Code of Practice working groups and the OECD Expert Group.
Since its founding in 2019, AISI has operated as a multidisciplinary research group, working in partnership with world-renowned researchers and with AI and tech policy leaders and centers at Berkeley and beyond.
In addition to helping shape international and federal policy recommendations, AISI currently works with both California and Washington state leaders on the development of effective AI governance.
Through its affiliated AI Policy Hub, the program has successfully trained and deployed 18 graduate fellows as ‘policy accelerators,’ embedding sociotechnical expertise into high-leverage roles across government, industry, and civil society.
