Irregular Warfare: Winning the Cognitive Domain

CSIS Commentary by Erol Yayboke & Nickolas Wilcox

The United States has repeatedly proven its ability to execute decisive kinetic strikes. Adversaries understand this, which is why they increasingly avoid conventional confrontation. Instead, they operate in the space of irregular warfare: leveraging autonomous systems, conducting cyber and infrastructure attacks, and directing cognitive campaigns shaped by AI-driven narratives aimed at influencing populations and undermining legitimacy.

Despite attempts to catch up, the United States is behind on irregular warfare. Against the backdrop of continued hostilities in the Middle East, this analysis frames a critical challenge within irregular warfare: how to better leverage data and AI tools to win the cognitive domain.

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