Exploring Research Opportunities in 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 (2022)
• On Technology:
  • Our Next Reality by Alvin Graylin and Louis Rosenberg (2024)
  • The Battle for your Brain by Nita Farahany (2023)
  • Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson (1992)
  • Daemon by Daniel Suarez (2009)

Link to full show notes and resources

Guest Bio: 

CDR Paul Groestad is a Norwegian naval officer with 30+ years experience in Signals, C4ISR, Cyber Operations and Information Warfare at all levels of the Norwegian Armed Forces and the NATO Command Structure.

His current position is with the Norwegian Ministry of Defense at the Department for Security Policy and Operations where he is desk officer for Hybrid threats and Malign Influence. 

In his previous position at NATOs Warfare Development Command, HQ SACT in Norfolk, Virginia, USA, he was the Deputy Branch Head for Concept Development and led the project for NATOs Cognitive Warfare Concept.

He is a graduate of the Norwegian Naval Academy and Joint Command and Staff College, holds a Masters degree in Military Art and Science from the Norwegian Defence University College and a Bachelor's degree in Information Science from the University of Bergen. 

His 2017 Master’s thesis was on the topic of Russian Influence Operations.

About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.

For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org.

Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn.

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