Tanna M. Krewson

More individuals can now access information from anywhere at any time, thus increasing human interaction, information overload and the ability to mobilize people and resources rapidly. Divisions in society and differences in opinion are natural, frequently arising from legitimate grievances that lead to positive social change. However, state and non-state actors can also capitalize on these divisions by exploiting advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging and disruptive technologies (EDTs), the collection of personal data, and the growth of social media platforms to spread disinformation to influence what individuals in our societies think, how they feel, and, ultimately, how they act. In this new world, the brain becomes the target and the weapon. Outside actors no longer need to cross national boundaries to sow disunity and undermine legitimate societal and government institutions; it can be done through everyday people by using weaponized information to change the way individuals view reality, their peers, the world, and themselves.

The core of the talk will highlight what societal resilience looks like in this space and why we need to do a better job of understanding and respecting cultural, racial, gender, and religious diversity within our populations if we expect to combat this form of warfare. The answer is not to pretend that our individual differences are inconsequential; rather, we must listen to the marginalized parts of our societies. The talk will also touch upon the importance of understanding emotions and how the human brain processes information to better understand why cognitive warfare is so effective. It is not enough to train people to recognize disinformation through standard information and media literacy. Individuals in our societies must understand the system within which disinformation exists: who the information is for, what emotion it is designed to create, and what is the intended impact?