Summary of Amy B. Zegart's Spies, Lies, And Algorithms

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview: #1 The CIA has recently started tweeting, and the world is seeing how this agency, known for its secrecy, has a sense of humor. AI is changing both commerce and defense in ways that could destabilize social orders and alter the global distribution of power.#2 The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the development of many new technologies, some of which are good, but others that could be used for destructive purposes. America is now simultaneously powerful and vulnerable to a wide array of dangers, all moving at the speed of networks.#3 The second challenge of the digital age is data. Intelligence is a sense-making enterprise. Agencies like the CIA gather and analyze information to help policymakers understand the present and anticipate the future. But data is democratizing, and American spy agencies are struggling to keep up.#4 The intelligence playing field is leveling, and not in a good way. Intelligence collectors are everywhere, and government spy agencies are drowning in data. This is a radical new world, and intelligence agencies are struggling to adapt to it.