Former Senior CIA Officer Warns: America Is Entering an Era of Cognitive Warfare

Former Deputy Director of CIA for Digital Innovation Jennifer Ewbank joins The Cipher Brief to discuss the rise of cognitive warfare, AI-powered influence operations, synthetic media, deepfakes, and the growing threat posed by algorithmic manipulation. In this wide-ranging conversation, Ewbank explains how adversaries are industrializing disinformation campaigns using open-source AI models, why democracies are uniquely vulnerable, and what governments, industry, and citizens can do to defend against the erosion of trust online. Topics include: • Russian “narrative kill chains” • Deepfakes and synthetic media • AI-driven psychological operations • Election interference risks • Social media amplification • Cognitive liberty and democratic resilience • The future of gray zone conflict As Ewbank warns, “The next decade may be defined by cognitive warfare.” Watch now and subscribe for more expert national security analysis from The Cipher Brief.