Reflections on Technology and Intelligence Systems

摘要

The impact of individual technological innovations on intelligence operations is often discussed, but the influence of technological change per se on intelligence systems remains less well understood. The historical literature on this topic is uneven - filled with detailed narratives on certain aspects, but also with surprisingly little attention to larger trends and their meaning. This is significant for two reasons.First, it means we have an incomplete understanding of what happened in the past,particularly for the 'analog revolution' in intelligence in the twentieth century. Second,it leaves us with few clues for understanding another wave of technological change washing over the intelligence profession at this time (a 'digital revolution'). Looking at the second revolution in the light of the first can give us important clues to what to watch for in coming years.