The Impact of Technology on Intelligence Analysis

Intelligence and technology have always been closely intertwined, both as enablers and as targets for collection. Recently, developments in big data and AI have become central to the operations of intelligence agencies. The literature on this development, and its implications, is growing, but is frequently focused on its impacts on collection. This chapter considers the scholarship on, and the need to expand the examination of, the impact of information communications technologies on intelligence analysis. Its primary focus is the United States intelligence community, which has been in many ways an early adopter of many digitally driven intelligence operations. It considers the state of the field, how leaders and scholars in the US have conceived of the opportunities and challenges of the new technological environment, and considers the key challenges and opportunities for further research in this significant and dynamic field.