When Technology Shapes the World
New technologies, particularly in cyberspace, have a strong impact on international relations and conflict. Malicious actors, be they lstates or non-state actors, have developed sophisticated means of influence. They tend to coordinate their physical and cyber activities with ever-greater precision. The security strategies of Western states need to change as a result and cease operating in silos.
With the development of increasingly sophisticated yet accessible cyber technology, boundaries are blurring between formerly discrete categories of international political interaction, requiring a reframing of the potential avenues for interstate conflict. Most importantly, states can no longer afford to view physical and digital landscapes as separate. The implications of cyber technology have introduced new threats, necessitating a far more holistic approach to security. In particular, technology has expanded the parameters of traditional warfare, enabling and empowering the individual with the ability to affect the stability of states and the broader system.
This article opts to focus more specifically on influence operations, including disinformation, because this offers the best lens through which to explore the question of how technology is affecting geopolitics. Influence operations, amplified by the power of cyber, are increasingly proving to present novel effects on international interaction. These effects are substantial, yet subtle, and are proving far more difficult to counteract than traditional forms of cyber warfare. Further, the intended target is the psyche of the nation’s citizenry, creating unprecedented challenges for governments.
Over the last half century, cyber warfare has reshaped the nature of international conflict and security. The low cost and attribution challenges of offensive action conducted through cyberspace have emboldened both state and non-state actors. Traditional kinetic warfare has relied upon conventional weapons and targets, which typically constitute the opponent’s military, such as destruction of infrastructure and the occupation of a physical space. This has meant that battlefield tactics are developed for contexts of engagement between two or more states in open confrontation. However, the introduction of novel cyber and digital techniques has enabled the pursuit of new objectives, which alter what it means to control a space or effectively win in a conflict.
The primary targets of the cyber toolkit – which include (but are not limited to) tactics such as hacking, malicious software (malware) and denial-of-service (DoS) attacks – have been the penetration, damage and disruption of computers and networks. […]
OUTLINE
- Technology and the activation of the individual
- Comprehensive security
- Technology trends
- Impact analysis
- International relations
- Domestic governance - Conflict and War
Jared Cohen is President of Jigsaw, an incubator created by Google to develop technologies that "improve the security of people around the world". He is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and has worked on the State Department's Policy Planning Staff.
Available in:
Themes and regions
Share
This page contains only a summary of our work. If you would like to have access to all the information from our research on the subject, you can download the full version in PDF format.
When Technology Shapes the World
Iran: Anatomy of a Power at War
The elimination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several high-ranking officials at the outset of the 2026 American-Israeli operation did not succeed in bringing down the Iranian regime. The regime had prepared for such a scenario, notably by decentralizing its structures. Moreover, it continues to adapt to war. The power of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is growing at the expense of the Shiite clergy. The security apparatus defends the country’s sovereignty and justifies its actions in the name of raison d’état.
“Remodeling” the Middle East?
Chaos continues to spread, seemingly without end, across the Middle East. The Israeli-American attack on Iran has resulted in a clear military and diplomatic failure, but it is paving the way for a regional realignment, the consequences of which remain uncertain. New regional groupings are taking shape, either centered around Israel or built on the prospect of coexistence with Tehran, alongside a decline in American influence and the marginalization of Europe, while China maintains a low-key presence.
Silicon Valley and War: Lessons from Ukraine
Over the course of international conflicts, and particularly in Ukraine, major tech companies have emerged as central actors. Initially subject to wartime maneuvering, they have since become decisive actors in their own right, privatizing a significant share of wartime exchanges, shaping the information flows of societies, and presenting themselves as providers of security. This situation raises important questions about states’ autonomy in making decisions and taking action.
Does Artificial Intelligence Change the Nature of War?
From Gaza to Ukraine and Iran, current conflicts are being shaped by the arrival of artificial intelligence and robots on the battlefield. The changes under way are so profound that humans risk rapidly losing control over entire aspects of the conduct of military operations. While these technological developments are altering the character of war, their impact on the very nature of war itself remains a matter of debate.