The authors address the timely issue of AI-powered information warfare in the Indo-Pacific region and its implications for regional and global security, delving into the appropriate strategies required for an effective near-term response. By examining China's tactics, the authors explore the future of information warfare in the region and how defense organizations and their partners can adapt and respond to these evolving challenges.

The Future of Indo-Pacific Information Warfare

Challenges and Prospects from the Rise of AI

Russell Hanson, Adam R. Grissom, Christopher A. Mouton

ResearchPublished Mar 14, 2024

As humanity increasingly embraces the digital age, artificial intelligence (AI) and its capabilities are having profound impacts on all facets of society, including information warfare. This impact is particularly relevant in the Indo-Pacific region, where the rise of AI-powered disinformation and malign information campaigns can pose significant challenges to national security and stability. The People's Republic of China (PRC), with its advanced AI technology and extensive information operations, is a significant factor shaping this dynamic landscape. In this report, the authors address the timely issue of AI-powered information warfare in the Indo-Pacific and its implications for regional and global security. Specifically, the authors delve into the appropriate strategies required for an effective near-term response and mitigation of the potential threats. By examining the PRC's tactics, the authors provide an exploration into the future of information warfare in the region and how defense organizations and their partners can adapt and respond to these evolving challenges.

Key Findings

  • The development of AI technologies, particularly advanced language models, has drastically expanded the scope of possible disinformation campaigns. These technologies could enhance China's ability to conduct information operations at an unprecedented scale and sophistication.
  • The information environment necessitates constant vigilance to detect and neutralize disinformation campaigns early. Advanced AI tools could be instrumental in this endeavor, helping to analyze, characterize, and visualize the constantly changing information environment.
  • Timely warnings can significantly dampen the effects of malign operations and are critical to combating them. Promoting true narratives and exposing falsehoods can help inoculate populations against disinformation, creating societal resilience that curbs the effect of repeated false information.
  • The efforts to counter disinformation should be multinational. Collaboration with partner nations is crucial not only to increase the effectiveness of these operations but also to create a combined front against malign activities. Local knowledge, trusted by local populations, forms a crucial part of this strategy.
  • As the landscape of information warfare evolves with technology and global geopolitics, future information operation strategies will need to be dynamic, collaborative, and proactive, combining vigilance, rapid response, and multinational cooperation to counter threats effectively.

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RAND Style Manual

Hanson, Russell, Adam R. Grissom, and Christopher A. Mouton, The Future of Indo-Pacific Information Warfare: Challenges and Prospects from the Rise of AI, RAND Corporation, RR-A2205-1, 2024. As of April 8, 2025: https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA2205-1.html

Chicago Manual of Style

Hanson, Russell, Adam R. Grissom, and Christopher A. Mouton, The Future of Indo-Pacific Information Warfare: Challenges and Prospects from the Rise of AI. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2024. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA2205-1.html.
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