The Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP) released today its second of six interim panel reports (IPR), “Intelligence in An Age of Data-Driven Competition.”
The SCSP Intelligence IPR argues that the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) faces four simultaneous imperatives for change: an intensifying geopolitical rivalry with China; new requirements to support techno-economic competition; the emergence of new tools, including AI, that enrich all aspects of the intelligence cycle; and ongoing, relentless disinformation attacks against our democracy.
To respond to these challenges, the SCSP’s Intelligence IPR recommends action in four overarching areas.
First, the report recommends that the IC’s leaders pursue necessary reforms and transformation in digital infrastructure, data management, security practices, and personnel policy.
“Second, the U.S. government, including the intelligence community, must do a much better job leveraging publicly and commercially available information,” said SCSP Intelligence Panel Senior Advisor Dr. Amy Zegart. “The Intelligence IPR recommends that a new entity be established for the collection, analysis, and dissemination of publicly and commercially available information. The report outlines several options for what such an organization might look like.”
Third, the IC needs to create new capabilities to master economic, financial, and technological intelligence. “We recommend that the United States Government establish a National Techno-Economic Intelligence Center to serve as an techno-economic analytic nerve center for U.S. policymakers. This would be similar to us establishing the National Counterterrorism Center in response to the 9-11 attacks,” said SCSP President and CEO Ylli Bajraktari.
The fourth area that the IC needs to focus its attention on is countering foreign adversarial influence operations. “We recommend a series of actions that our government should consider, starting with a stronger focus on ‘prebunking’ and ‘debunking’ of foreign disinformation, and warning the U.S. public of foreign disinformation that can have strategic consequences for our social fabric and cohesion,” said SCSP Intelligence Panel Director Peter Mattis.
For more information about the Intelligence IPR, Defense IPR or SCSP’s first report titled “Mid-Decade Challenges to National Competitiveness,” please contact Tara Rigler at tmr@scsp.ai.