The UK’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR) signals a significant shift in defence posture, with the aim of gearing the UK’s military to be ready to fight a war - perhaps the next ‘World War’ - against a near-peer adversary. The SDR provides an insight into how the UK aims to reshape the military, particularly in light of a stated increase in overall defence spending, and how it will position itself in relation to NATO and other allies. The strategy is to pivot towards an “Integrated Force”, with “constant innovation”, while encouraging a “whole of society” approach. In a world of increasing geopolitical uncertainty, what does this tell us about the military capabilities that are needed to face current and future threats and challenges? On this episode, Matt Lane, a founder of 325X, a venture studio specialising in defence and cyber, addresses this question and gives his perspective on the UK’s SDR and what it means for the defence tech sector.
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How is AI hampering critical thinking in intelligence?
As AI tools become more commonplace in all types of knowledge work, including intelligence, they create benefits, but also risks. Nico Dekens (@dutchosintguy), an expert in open source intelligence and investigations has written about how AI tools are affecting critical thinking and analytical abilities. In this episode, we talk to Nico about his experiences in using AI tools and his recommendations for mitigating the potential risks of the unknown and the ‘black box’ character of AI.
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Why is investigating corruption vital for global security?
How did an NGO going undercover help to bring down the brutal Khmer Rouge? And how did they go on to uncover corporate complicity in producing blood diamonds? And, more recently, how did they use commercially available data to identify the companies supplying jet fuel to the Russian planes that bombed civilians in Ukraine? In this episode of Sensing the Signal, we talk to Patrick Alley, a founder of Global Witness, who spent three decades investigating corruption and catching Very Bad People at the nexus of war, environmental crimes, and human rights abuses. We discuss how corruption underpins many of the world's conflicts and security problems.
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What can we learn from Ukraine’s innovative use of technology on the battlefield?
As Ukraine defends itself from an existential threat, it has deployed a variety of technology solutions on the front line to support war fighters, often at high speed and with great effect. In this episode, we talked to Kateryna Bondar from the Center for Strategic and International Studies about her research into military technology in Ukraine, including unmanned systems and command and control platforms, and the impact of battlefield-driven innovation, AI integration, and allied collaboration. Through the discussion of these themes, we explore what other countries can learn from the rapid capability advancements made by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
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How can governments keep up with commercial data and AI capabilities?
The breadth and depth of commercial intelligence capabilities is expanding at a dizzying rate, especially with the rapid growth of AI products coming into the market. These capabilities can have a huge impact on national security and defence, but only if they can be implemented before they are superseded. How can government organisations keep pace with these capabilities and use them effectively, particularly in classified environments? On this episode of Sensing the Signal, we discuss this with Tony Reeves, CEO of Maiar, a defence technology, intelligence analysis, and systems engineering company.
Sensing the Signal is a bi-weekly podcast produced by Atreides. In conversations with expert practitioners, we discuss the overlap between data, technology, intelligence, and national security and what it all means for analysts everywhere. How do we know AI is trustworthy? Can battlefield debris hunt down weapon transfers? How is technology transforming national intelligence? Find out answers to these questions and more from leaders in the field.
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