Tech trends, threats and capturing information advantage
How can the United States become faster and more agile in the modern information environment?
In a recent episode of the Information Professionals Association’s Cognitive Crucible podcast, Leidos Vice President and Strategic Account Executive for the Intelligence Community Andrew Hallman and Leidos Senior Advisor Pat Roberson shared insights on the future of information operations (IO), improving the speed, reach, and scale of IO campaigns through AI-powered technologies, and conflict in the Middle East is revealing to all how adversaries use IO to shape perceptions, and achieve strategic objectives despite military losses.
During their appearance, Hallman and Roberson discussed the need for the United States to become faster and more agile in the modern information environment, noting how advances such as Leidos’ Imperium platform can help bridge the gap between kinetic operations and dynamic IO campaigns. The conversation also explored topics such as IO training challenges, perceptions of IO within the national security community, and the current conflict with Iran - noting how Iran has used influence campaigning to alter perception of the survival of its regime.
What you should know
- Adversaries and IO today: Technology advances – from smart devices to accessible AI tools – are accelerating a range of modern threats, Hallman noted. “There’s been a democratization of the means by which to do us harm,” he said. “And that proliferation of emerging and disruptive technology has given the tools for some of our smaller threat actors to actually have a disproportionate impact on our security” through avenues such as IO and influence, he noted.
- Global interests and influence: Adversary influence campaigns are just as much about tipping public opinion around the world as reaching American audiences, Roberson noted. Roberson, a retired U.S. Army Special Forces leader with extensive experience in psychological operations (PSYOPS) and IO, said many adversaries seek a range of tools and approaches to “weaken America’s influences over the areas (certain adversaries) want to control and dominate,” he said.
- The speed reach and scale problem: While the U.S. lacks the scope, proxies, and investment in IO that some adversaries have made over the past several years, Roberson noted, technology holds the promise to close that gap even in IO. “This has been the cornerstone of the U.S. approach to many problems … how do I solve a lack of manpower and speed with technology,” he said. One of the challenges Imperium looks to solve is how – with the aid of proven AI tools and vetted data – to make the planning, execution, and evaluation of IO much faster, Hallman said.
- Chocolate, peanut butter, and IO: Leidos’ Imperium solution effectively melds contemporary marketing and sentiment analysis at scale with traditional IO tradecraft - supercharged with AI. “Things that would have taken an IO practitioner a long time to have to put together, particularly on a deliberate plan … through AI, Imperium can move through that in minutes,” Roberson said, noting the melding of both vetted marketing datasets and IO planning approaches is a bit akin to bringing chocolate and peanut butter together. “Two things that kind of were out there separately, but if you bring them together, that is really, really good.”
