How TikTok Collects Data and Enables Influence

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, Anthony Vinci, author of The Fourth Intelligence Revolution, discusses how the battlefield has shifted from physical territory to the human brain. From China's influence within U.S. education and gaming to the subtle "mind hacking" potential of AI-generated misinformation, Anthony breaks down the strategic landscape of modern information operations. Join us for a deep dive into the risks posed by TikTok, the crisis of masculinity in the digital age, and how we can build individual resilience against an era of total surveillance.

Recording Date: 8 Jan 2026

Resources:

• Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned
  • #100 Rand Waltzman on the Metaverse and Immersive Virtual Reality
  • #212 Libby Lange on Algorithmic Cognitive Warfare
• The Fourth Intelligence Revolution: The Future of Espionage and the Battle to Save America by Anthony Vinci
• The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power by Shoshana Zuboff
• Princeton Review

Link to full show notes and resources

Guest Bio: Anthony Vinci is the author of The Fourth Intelligence Revolution: The Future of Espionage and the Battle to Save America (Henry Holt, 2025). He served as the first Chief Technology Officer at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) where he was one of the first leaders to bring AI into intelligence. Earlier in his career he served in Iraq, Africa, and Asia. After leaving the world of intelligence, Vinci became an executive at a private equity firm and CEO of VICO, an AI company that is bringing the intelligence revolution to the rest of us by democratizing intelligence analysis. He is an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) and received his PhD in International Relations from the London School of Economics.

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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