The Kremlin’s political warfare against democratic countries has evolved from overt to covert influence activities. But while Russia has pioneered the toolkit of asymmetric measures for the 21st century, including cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns, these tools are already yesterday’s game. Technological advances in artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and machine learning, combined with the growing availability of big data, have set the stage for a new era of sophisticated, inexpensive, and highly impactful political warfare.
OP-ED
Alina Polyakova, Spencer Boyer: Russia, the West, and the coming age of global digital competition
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu attend a meeting of Russia's top military brass in Balashikha outside Moscow on Dec. 22, 2017.