The Intelligence Jumpstart with Jane DOE

Jane DOE speaks to NIU’s Dr. Mark Bailey about the ethical challenges of integrating AI into the Intelligence Community, emphasizing the critical need to fully examine AI’s explainability and alignment problems within the decision-making processes. They explore current events, the potential benefits and risks of using AI on human connection, the challenges of regulating AI, and the importance of developing critical thinking skills in the face of technological advancements.

Jane DOE is back for season three and has curated a guest list our listeners told us they wanted. She engages thought leaders from NIU, the IC, academia, and beyond. From navigating your crazy drunk friend, truth decay, and the Artic, to addressing workplace trauma, season three won’t disappoint.

Jane DOE speaks with Dr. Deborah Pfaff, Associate Professor of Research in NIU’s Office of Research, about the privatization of space. Noting that space-related activities make up 25 percent of the U.S. economy, Dr. Pfaff highlights existing space policy and the current practice of commercializing space exploration—providing the private industry with government contracts but no oversight.

The article mentioned in this episode: Spacing Out: Will we allow the privatization of space to eclipse NASA and NRO?
(originally published in The Hill)

Manolis Priniotakis, NIU’s Vice President of Research and Infrastructure, discusses the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis and its role within the department with Assistant Secretary Shannon Corless. They also explore the intersection of economics and national security and what that convergence looks like in practice. 

Jane DOE speaks with Dr. Neil Johnson from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and NIU faculty member in the Anthony G. Oettinger School of Science and Technology Intelligence. Examining deepfake technologies, Dr. Johnson discusses multimedia forensics and the ongoing efforts of the IC, U.S. Government, and global organizations to provide users and viewers with education and resources to combat the malicious use of deepfake technologies. 

Jane DOE speaks with Dr. Jennifer Sciubba, an internationally recognized expert in the field of demographic security and a Wilson Center fellow, about her book, 8 Billion and Counting: How Sex, Death, and Migration Shape Our World, and the security predictions we can make by examining existing global populations. 

Jane DOE speaks with Dr. Rod Schoonover, a former Senior Scientist and Senior Analyst in the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research and founder of the Ecological Futures Group, about the science behind climate change and how it affects U.S. security. Dr. Schoonover also addresses the implications of politicizing a national security issue steeped in science. 

Jane DOE speaks with the IC’s Chief of DEIA Stephanie La Rue and NIU’s Chief Diversity Officer Lawrence Pace about ongoing efforts to promote DEIA values across the IC. From security clearance reform to recruitment practices and community education, our guests discuss how to promote DEIA principles and develop a “see something/say something” culture.

Harvard Implicit Bias Test

Jane DOE speaks to Josh Kerbel, NIU Professor of Practice in the Office of Research about the power of language. The metaphors we use in the IC and the way we describe U.S. national security threats determine how we approach those threats. In a post-Cold War environment, the mechanistic language that makes up the analytic lexicon does not address the complex threats of the modern world.

Find Josh Kerbel's writing on NIU's website under the Caracristi Institute and Research Shorts and Notes.