The World of Intelligence OSINT and the changing character of warfare
Sep 2, 2025
Dr. Philip Ritcheson, Vice President for Strategy and Growth at Leidos, discusses the evolution of modern warfare and the vital role of open-source intelligence. He delves into how technological advancements shape military strategies and the ethical dilemmas faced by democratic nations versus autocratic regimes. The conversation highlights trust disparities in AI between the U.S. and China, and the cultural shifts needed in the intelligence community to adapt to these changes. Ritcheson emphasizes innovative deterrence strategies amid evolving global threats.
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Character Of Warfare Explained
- The "character of warfare" describes how states use military force and how that usage changes with technology and doctrine.
- Rapid tech shifts (AI, hypersonics, quantum) are driving a dramatic change in that character of warfare.
Pace And Scale Strain Intelligence
- Intelligence faces a scale and pace challenge due to data volume and diversity of sensors.
- Teams must adopt AI and big-data tools to turn raw information into timely, decision-relevant analysis.
Integrate Commercial Tech Quickly
- Integrate commercial tech and innovation into government intelligence and defence solutions to gain speed and capability.
- Balance human judgment with AI to ensure trusted, ethical, and operationally useful outputs.