Emerging and disruptive technologies are in the process of facilitating a revolution in intelligence affairs (RIA). These technological drivers will impact intelligence strategy, operational and organizational concepts, and contribute to shaping the future strategic environment. This revolution will create new threats, opportunities, and challenges for the U.S. Intelligence Community.
Join the National Academies for a three-part subseries of virtual colloquia seeking to explore these issues. The subseries will be split into three days, each with a different focus, throughout 2021.
COLLOQUIUM #3: The Future Strategic Environment
The third colloquium on the future strategic environment occurred on August 25, 2021. Download the agenda and speaker bios in the meeting materials section below.
Panel 1: Developments in the Strategic Environments
What political, military, economic, and social developments during the next two decades will drive the need for a revolution in intelligence affairs?
- Zachery Tyson Brown, Intelligence and National Security Futurist
- Elsa Kania, Center for a New American Security
- William Lahneman, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
- Carmen Medina, Central Intelligence Agency (Retired)
Panel 2: Convergence Driven Technology Changes
How will future sociopolitical developments converge with technological developments (e.g. AI, automation, smart cities, synthetic biology) to drive changes in intelligence?
- Jeffrey “Skunk” Baxter, Independent Defense/Intelligence Community Consultant
- Miriam “Mim” John, Sandia National Laboratories (retired)
- Ellen McCarthy, Former Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research
- Matt McKnight, Ginkgo Bioworks
Panel 3: Changes in the Functions of Intelligence
How should intelligence operations change to maintain the greatest competitive advantage in a changing sociopolitical and technological landscape?
- David Omand, King’s College London
- Itai Shapira, The University of Leicester
- Gregory Treverton, University of Southern California
- Samuel S. Visner, The MITRE Corporation and Georgetown University
PAST COLLOQUIA
We held the first colloquium in this series on Technological Drivers on April 28, 2021. In case you missed it, you can learn more and watch videos of the talks on the event page.
We held the second colloquium in this series on Strategic, Operational, and Organizational Impact on June 30, 2021. In case you missed it, you can learn more and watch videos of the talks on the event page.