Category: Ethics – threats and hope
The ethics of secret intelligence is a threat. Agencies have obsessive secrecy, hidden agendas, a lack of duty-of-care, a failure of norms and bad introversion. And from that, come other ethical challenges.
This website includes stories and themes that illustrate challenges, and explore ways of improving it.
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Person Lurking – story of AI in intelligence analysis
Person lurking by Zone Sierra. Nervous movement, potential improvised explosive device. The automated intelligence analysis flashed on Tessa’s screen.
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Intelligence agencies – shed the introverted thinking
Intelligence agencies have introverted thinking. They adapt to new threats & technology, but their attitudes are a danger to themselves, the public and peace.
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Intelligence work needs a “duty of care” to the public
Secret intelligence can hurt the innocent. Intelligence workers should have a duty of care to everyone with whom they come into contact.
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Intelligence challenges: hidden agendas in the secret state
Intelligence processes were introduced for the State to gain advantage over its adversaries. But states have hidden agendas, including against their own people.
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Judicial oversight – a 2-page story of illegal intercepts
They arrived without warning in José’s office. A high court judge, a policewoman from Operational Security, and a clear implication of illegal intercepts.
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Wuhan and biological weapons capability – a story
The professor stared at the words Top Secret on the analysis report. She lifted it and read the title: Wuhan Biological Weapons and Covid-19. She shrugged.
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Hidden Beyond Detection – a spy thriller
Hidden Beyond Detection is a spy thriller set in 2014. It follows Akila Sinclair, a young intelligence analyst who must become what she hates most in order to prove herself.
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The assassination – a 2-page story of an ethical dilemma
‘Is he actually proposing a kill order? That we should become involved in an assassination?’ The intelligence researcher’s eyes widened.
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Forced confession – a 2-page story of an analyst’s dilema
The forced confession was in stilted Arabic with words that the suspect never used, and the recording from the interview had been replaced by a transcript.
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Presumed guilty – a story of intrusive surveillance
‘She’s a journalist, that makes her guilty,’ the intelligence officer declared. ‘Get me evidence for intrusive surveillance and we’ll find her dirty secrets.’