Big Data, AI, Platforms, and the Future of the U.S. Intelligence Workforce: A Research Agenda

Abstract

Science and Technology studies (STS) scholars have long argued for a deeper appreciation of the way technologies embody political, moral, and social choices along with their specific technical capabilities. In particular, research on information technology (IT) workers has pointed out that: 1) technology is not neutral but embodies intrinsic characteristics that enable new human experiences and foreclose others; 2) within these new “horizons of the possible,” individuals and groups construct meaning and make choices, further shaping the situation; and 3) the interplay of intrinsic qualities and human choices is further shaped by social, political, and economic interests that inscribe the situation with their intended and unintended opportunities and limitations [1]. The U.S. intelligence workforce includes a variety of IT-related workers. Although attention has been devoted to discussing the social and ethical implications of artificial intelligence (AI) and use of big-data platforms for the public and private sector workforces [2]-[6], few research studies have looked at the social implications of these technologies for the future of the defense and security workforce [7], especially within the U.S. intelligence community (IC), which constitutes a unique and varied set of employees, actors, institutions, missions, and policies.