The Intelligence from The Economist Electric eye: AI is helping fight terrorists
6 snips
Aug 22, 2024 
Shashank Joshi, defence editor at The Economist, discusses how AI is revolutionizing intelligence analysis to predict terrorist activities. Sarah Burke, bureau chief for Mexico, highlights the dire economic crisis in Cuba, marked by government inefficiencies and a heavy reliance on foreign aid. Meanwhile, Oliver Carroll, our Ukraine correspondent, shares insights into Odessa's surprising cultural revival at the beach amid war. Together, they explore resilience and hope in crisis situations, showcasing human spirit in the face of adversity.
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Nerd Locker
- The "Nerd Locker" team analyzed historical data on violence in Afghanistan to predict future attacks.
- They used open-source intelligence, including social media, news reports, and commercial satellite data.
Predictive Patterns
- Satellite data revealed that towns became darker before an attack, while areas associated with enemy activity became brighter.
- This suggests that townspeople may have had some forewarning of attacks, while insurgents were actively preparing.
Jalalabad Attack
- Raven's Sentry predicted an attack in Jalalabad in July 2020, estimating 20-40 casualties.
- The actual attack occurred on August 2nd, killing 29 people, demonstrating the model's predictive capabilities.