THE IMPACT OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES ON INTELLIGENCE ANALYSIS

Abstract

Intelligence agencies have aligned with armed forces through the adoption of emerging technologies in their current operations. However, there is limited understanding of how artificial intelligence (AI) and Big Data modify the intelligence cycle and analytical process, particularly the redefinition of the human analyst’s role in the context of technology integration. This article adopts a socio-technical perspective to examine the interaction between emerging technologies and intelligence analysis, by addressing how technology use reconfigures the human analyst’s role through their repositioning within hybrid human-machine teams as the dominant working model.
Through the use of bibliometric analysis and systematic literature review, research trends were examined and findings regarding the technological impact on the analytical process and the interaction between technology and human operators within it were synthesised. The research results show that emerging technologies are leading to complex, comprehensive data automation and patter detection, but human judgment remains essential in the decision-making process.
The future of the intelligence analysis depends on the partnership between humans and machines, and achieving this will reconfigure analytical workflows, update doctrinal frameworks and operating procedures, and develop new skills to facilitate the effective integration of technical capabilities with human expertise.