In their first-ever joint public appearance, leaders of the Five Eyes intelligence partnership—the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand—traveled to the U.S. at the invitation of FBI Director Christopher Wray.

Together they are launching the first Emerging Technology and Securing Innovation Security Summit in Palo Alto, California, the heart of Silicon Valley. In addition to the Five Eyes, the summit is bringing together business leaders and entrepreneurs, government officials, and academics to discuss threats to innovation, coming trends in the use and potential exploitation of emerging tech, and means to work together to advance both economic security and public safety.

The summit kicks off with a fireside chat with all five members hosted by Dr. Condoleezza Rice, former secretary of state. The intelligence leaders will outline current threats and trends to private sector organizations in their respective countries. Following the fireside chat, the intelligence leaders will sit down with private sector leaders for in-depth discussions about expanding and strengthening private-public partnerships to better protect innovation and the collective security of the five nations and their citizens.

Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Director-General Mike Burgess: "The Summit is an unprecedented response to an unprecedented threat. The fact the Five Eyes security services are gathering in Silicon Valley speaks to the nature of the threat and our collective resolve to counter it.

"This summit will raise awareness of the threat, and help the technology sector understand, identify and manage the risks."

Canadian Security Intelligence Service Director David Vigneault:"“Innovation drives our collective prosperity and security, yet the threats to innovation are increasing in both scale and complexity. To meet this challenge, CSIS is working proactively with FVEYs partners, private sector leaders, and academia to secure our future and to ensure the safety, security and prosperity of Canada."

"L’innovation est un important moteur de notre prospérité et de notre sécurité collectives, mais les menaces qui pèsent sur elle ne cessent de gagner en ampleur et en complexité. Afin de remédier à cette situation, le SCRS collabore activement avec ses partenaires du Groupe des cinq, des dirigeants du secteur privé et le milieu universitaire pour assurer la sécurité et la prospérité du Canada."

FBI Director Christopher Wray: "Emerging technologies are essential to our economic and national security, and America’s role as a leading economic power, but they also present new and evolving threats. The FBI is committed to working with our Five Eyes and industry partners to continue to protect emerging technologies both from those who would steal them and those who would exploit them for malicious purposes."

MI5 Director General Ken McCallum: "The U.K. is seeing a sharp rise in aggressive attempts by other states to steal competitive advantage. It’s the same across all five of our countries. The stakes are now incredibly high on emerging technologies; states which lead the way in areas like artificial intelligence, quantum computing and synthetic biology will have the power to shape all our futures."

"We all need to be aware, and respond, before it’s too late."

Director-General of Security and Chief Executive, New Zealand Security Intelligence Service Andrew Hampton: "Emerging technologies bring many benefits to New Zealand, not least the potential to drive economic growth. At the same time, these same technologies in the wrong hands can be used in dangerous or illicit ways. The NZSIS is pleased to be working with our Five Eyes intelligence partners along with the private sector on this most critical of challenges.”