| Abstract |
For NATO to have the capability to acquire and preserve Decision and Cognitive Superiority over their adversaries and across the conflict spectrum, scientific based knowledge is needed to support and increase NATOs operational readiness to respond to CogWar. CogWar is not necessarily new but has emerged as a product of the integration and confluence of many technological advances and as availability and access to information and technology has increased. CogWar takes well-known methods within warfare to a new level by attempting to alter and shape the way humans think, react, and make decisions. CogWar has emerged replete with security challenges due to its invasive, intrusive, and invisible nature and where the goal is to exploit facets of cognition to disrupt, undermine, influence, or modify human decisions (proposed by ET-356). CogWar represents the convergence of a wide range of advanced technologies along with human factors and systems, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Information Communication Technologies (ICT), neuroscience, biotechnology and human enhancement that are being deliberately used by NATOs adversaries in the 21st century battlespace. CogWar presents a significant risk to global defence and security at every level including economic, geopolitical, social, cultural, as well as threatening human decision making. The task of ET-356 was focused solely on identifying and suggesting defensive S and T to strengthen the Alliances deterrence against CogWar and improve NATOs and national resilience critical to NATOs core tasks to safeguard Allied nations, societies, and shared values. CogWar gives rise to the adversaries ability to shape human cognition, perception, sensemaking, situational awareness, and decision making at all levels. The ability to intentionally (mis)use information within digital networks a and disseminate it globally is the risk. |
