The role of AI in open source intelligence

For a long time, open source intelligence (OSINT) was primarily composed of insights from foreign news sources. It was supplemental public information that analysts could layer on top of classified intelligence to gain a full operational picture. Many in the intelligence community viewed it as a "nice to have" rather than a mission-critical data source -- something to confirm rather than to foundationally inform. First, the types and scope of open source intelligence have exploded in the digital age. From public legal records to social media platforms to the dark web, OSINT now encompasses every online channel that bad actors are using to communicate and mobilize.