Power Projection and Subversion via Malign Influence Campaigns on Social Media: Comparing Effects of Cognitive Biases and Cultural Values on Information Operations by Russia in Eur. and China in LATAM
Abstract
Project Summary. Title: Power Projection and Subversion via Malign Influence Campaigns on Social Media: Comparing Effects of Cognitive Biases and Cultural Values on Information Operations by Russia in Europe and China in Latin America. Special Interest Area: (2) Pept. Politics & Intl Relations, Oxford University; Richard Davis, Co-PI, Frmr Dir (Terrorism) Prevention, White House, CEO Artis International; Hasan Davulcu, Co-PI, Artis Intl & School of Computing and Decision Systems Engineering, Arizona State U; Robert Johnson, Co-PI; Faculty of History & Changing Character of War Centre, Oxford U; Andrea Fatica, Project Management, Artis Intl. Collaborators: Robert Axelrod, Pol. Sci./Public Policy, U Michigan; Molly Crockett, Psychology, Yale U; Vincent Liu, Cybersecurity & China,ased at Oxford Universitys Changing Character of War Centre and Artis International (a field-based scientific research group of academic and policy experts). The project synergistically employs: 1. Insights from recent, empirically-validated, psycho-social theories of Reasoning and Persuasion and the results of our DoD and NSF supported research on Devoted Actor Theory, to trac biases and core cultural values that facilitate influence campaigns; 2. expert, field-based knowledge of cultural belief systems to identify political sensibilities and vulnerabilities in influence campaigns in focal countries; 3. A patented, social media learning tool, managed by Artis Looking Glass (ALG), to identify and track hostile information cascades and salient messages relevant to spds opposing groups.Research problem: State-sponsored hostile influence campaigns are instruments of national power that focus on u of its adversaries, most notably the U.S. and its allies. Malign campaigns exploit psychological biases and political vulnerabilities in the socio-cultural landscape of nations, and among transnational and substate actors, which has already led to new ways of resisting, reinforcing and remaking political authority and alliances. Such campaigns also can be powerful force multipliers for kinetic warfare and affect economies. Although pioneered by state actors, disinformation tools are now readily available to anyone or anybilities owing to political tolerance and free speech, requires our societies to create new forms of resilience as well as deterrence.Methods: We address the issues through an innovative link between proprietary machine learning and multilingual text analysis, m Russian pro-sovereignty campaigns in Europe (Hungary, where pro-Russian themes appear most effective; Latvia, which attempts to counter disinformation on those themes; Italy, where Russia experiments with negative value-laden [e.g., religious] messaging for Western Europe), and Chinese Belt and Road related campaigns in Latin America (Venezuela, where Huawei, Hikvision & other Chinese tech companies have bored into national policing and propaganda; Panama, where China seeks influence over the Canal & deep water ports;ariffs). Option years also focus on: Poland, Estonia, France, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil.Outcome & Impact: The project delivers human + AI theory tools to: 1) detect structural features of potent and contagious foreign state propaganda and disinformation, focusing on, focusing on cultural, value-driven vectors; 3) identify effective counter-strategies to block and deter malign messages from spreading and enduring in real time, including ways to interact with hostile actors and leverage their modus operandi to derail their efforts; and 4) raise public awareness of how (1) and (2) are used to manipulate opinion and decision-making, and (3) how to organicall
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Apr 06, 2021
- Source ID
- N000142112215
Entities
People
- Scott Atran
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- Pembroke College
- United States Navy