#210 Paul Groestad on Cognitive Warfare

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association.

During this episode, CDR Paul Grostad discusses the emerging threat of cognitive warfare, emphasizing the importance of information in modern societies and the potential for it to be weaponized. Until recently, Paul led Cognitive Warfare concept development for the NATO strategic warfare development command, HQ SACT, in Norfolk Virginia. NATO defines cognitive warfare as: the deliberate, synchronized military and non-military activities throughout the continuum of competition designed to shape the information environments and affect audience, attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors to gain, maintain, and protect cognitive superiority.

Recording Date: 29 Nov 2024

Research Question: Paul Groestad suggests an interested student or researcher examine: 

1. How can we ethically gain situational awareness and monitor the Information Environment without negatively impacting values like freedom of speech and freedom of the press?
2. How can we effectively deter against non-attributable hostile acts in the Grey Zone, or below the threshold of armed conflict?
3. AI powered influence is on the rise, what are different ways to utilize AI to defend, counter or respond?

Resources:

• Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned
  • #33 August Cole on FICINT and the Cognitive Warfighting Domain
  • #180 Tanna Krewson on Cognitive Warfare
• Cognitive Warfare Products on the NATO Innovation Hub
• Cognitive warfare: a conceptual analysis of the NATO ACT cognitive warfare exploratory concept by Christoph Deppe and Gary S Schaal. (FYI: This report is an analysis of an earlier draft version of The Cognitive Warfare EXPLORATORY Concept, which was shared with nations for comments in April 2023. Significant review, analysis and experimentation has gone into the document since then.)
• Allied Command Transformation develops the Cognitive Warfare Concept to Combat Disinformation and Defend Against “Cognitive Warfare”
• “Data is the new oil” Clive Humby
• On Geopolitics:
  • New Cold Wars by David Sanger (2024)
• On the changing character of warfare:
  • The Dragons and the Snakes by David Kilcullen (2020)
  • New Rules of War by Sean McFate
  • The Weaponisation of Everything by Mark Galeotti (2022)
• On Russian Strategic Culture and Information Warfare:
  • The Russian Understanding of War by Oscar Jonsson (2019)
  • Unmasking Maskirovka by Daniel Bagge (2019)
  • The Story of Russia by Orlando Figes (2