Information Operations

commentary

BBC's Gaza Service Demonstrates Power of Radio During Conflict

Radio has long been used during conflicts to relay news and information when all other means of communication are knocked out of service. The U.S. Agency for Global Media could follow the lead of the BBC World Service and establish a pop-up station to provide safety and supply updates, emergency medical information, and news to the people in Gaza.

Benjamin J. Sacks

commentary

Biden Should Call China's Bluff on Responsible AI to Safeguard the 2024 Elections

Few in the Biden administration will be surprised to learn that Beijing is lying about its intentions and activities when it comes to influence operations. But lies, maybe even especially blatant ones, present diplomatic opportunity.

Nathan Beauchamp-Mustafaga

blog

Disinformation Amid the Israel-Hamas War, U.S. Gun Policy, Cannabis: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on how the information war may play out between Israel and Hamas, what the evidence says (and doesn't say) about U.S. gun policy, supply models for recreational cannabis, and more.

commentary

Lies, Misinformation Play Key Role in Israel-Hamas Fight

At the strategic level, the war in Gaza is about perception, telling a story about who is the victim and who is the aggressor. Lies, mistruths, and disinformation will play a key and continuing role in this fight.

Todd C. Helmus @Helmus, William Marcellino

blog

Israel-Hamas War, AI and Gene Editing, Social Media Regulation: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the Israel-Hamas war, the convergence of machine learning and gene editing, regulating social media while protecting free speech, and more.

commentary

Educating Academics Will Ease UK Universities' Foreign Influence Crisis

Tackling China's quest for foreign technologies is tough. China exploits the very principles—openness, freedom, collaboration—that have fostered scientific breakthroughs to acquire foreign technologies. This makes it difficult to intervene without damaging these values in the process.

Fiona Quimbre @FQuimbre

commentary

Dismantling the Disinformation Business of Chinese Influence Operations

Some commercial actors benefit from involvement in Chinese influence operations. What steps could the U.S. government take to address this?

Bilva Chandra, Lev Navarre Chao

blog

Israel-Hamas War, Overdose Deaths, Striking Health Care Workers: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on historical context for the Israel-Hamas war, the link between education and fatal overdoses, why U.S. health care workers are striking, and more.

commentary

The United States Isn't Ready for the New Age of AI-Fueled Disinformation

Generative AI offers China and other bad actors the potential to fulfill longstanding desires to shape the global conversation. It is vital that the U.S. government and social media platforms recognize this threat and work together to address it immediately.

Nathan Beauchamp-Mustafaga, William Marcellino

commentary

Cyber Attacks Reveal Uncomfortable Truths About U.S. Defenses

Without government investments and policies to drive transparency and a clear understanding of what cybersecurity tools do, how well they work, and how securely they are built, the United States risks continuing to offer its adversaries the means to undermine its systems and, ultimately, its security.

Chad Heitzenrater

blog

The Four-Day School Week, AI and Social Media Manipulation, School Safety: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the costs and benefits of a four-day school week, how artificial intelligence is bringing a new era of social media manipulation, the effects of placing police officers in schools, and more.

blog

The War in Ukraine, Income Share Agreements, the Tech 'Cold War': RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on why Ukraine isn’t like World War I, an alternative to student loans, the tech “Cold War" between the United States and China, and more.

commentary

What Are Practical Steps to Embrace the Messiness of Public-Private Collaboration in the Fight Against Botnets?

Botnets are networks of computers infected with malware that an attacker controls and uses to fulfill malicious cyber activities. Decisionmakers could incorporate a complex adaptive systems perspective to assess if their organization and immediate network, as well as the overall ecosystem, are adaptable and resilient enough to respond to botnet activities.

Daniel Cunningham

commentary

Why DoD Needs Greater Focus on Nonlethal Weapons, Intermediate Force Capabilities

Nonlethal weapons do not entail the firing of projectiles, the detonation of explosives, or even the use of edged weapons with blades. Their effects are more subtle, though no less powerful for that. But the effects of these systems, and their impact on overall military capabilities, are often underestimated or misunderstood.

Scott Savitz, Krista Romita Grocholski

commentary

Truth Decay and National Security

Even if the U.S. national security apparatus can operate entirely outside of politics, it remains exposed to the effects of Truth Decay—the diminishing role of facts and analysis in American public life. Little work is being done to understand how severe the impact of Truth Decay is on national security and, more importantly, how to mitigate it.

Heather J. Williams @HeatherJWill, Caitlin McCulloch