Intelligent Biology: Cognitive Defense of the Joint Force in a Digitizing World: Report for the Pentagon Joint Staff Strategic Multilayer Assessment Group
Abstract
How can we defend the humans in the Joint Force and its key support networks from adversarial information operations in our digitizing world? Service personnel, their families and friends are human. Adversaries and other destabilizing forces threaten to sow discord and disruption amongst these humans, in order to degrade collective capabilities. Such threats can harness the powerful new digital technologies immersing our lives. Effectively defending the Joint Forces humans from information threats is crucial to protect its competitive capabilities: in our current era of Gray Zone competition, during escalation scenarios, and in war. Part I defines the task. Who are we defending from what and how is this new? Who includes humans like the 1.3 million active-duty personnel, and their families who provide key cognitive resilience and influences. Some four million hold clearances at secret or above. At home or work, on U.S. soil or abroad, on myriad digital devices, its a huge attack surface with many tempting target audiences. They face information threats from two sources: external adversaries information operations (e.g. as NATO troops face from Russia; see Box 1); and extremists from their own society (e.g. as German Special Forces face now; see Box 2). Digitization changes the character of such threats, not least by merging domestic and foreign: a key distinction in U.S. law, history and new Interim National Security Strategic Guidance (2021).Deepfakes illustrate how such threats character may evolve. These Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated media can be tools of mass-produced disinformation, or of exquisite active measures (intelligence operations to shape political decisions. But deepfakes used alone exert limited influence. Instead, they are one tool in combined arms information operations alongside dual-use tech like microtargeting (analyses of personal data to identify a specific audiences interests in order to influence their actions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 15, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1154245
Entities
People
- Nicholas D. Wright