Introduction: Dr Miah Hammond-Errey is an experienced intelligence professional having spent eighteen years leading tactical, operational, and strategic analysis and communications activities for the Australian Government, with a focus on emerging trends, complex challenges and national security threats. Highlights include leading the intelligence component of a major international investigation, conducting transnational crime assessments in Asia and leading a strategic intelligence function. Before she left the public sector, she was awarded an Operations Medal.
She then moved into academia, and has coordinated, taught and guest lectured for a range of university and professional courses. Her expertise covers criminology, national security, counterintelligence, information operations, cybersecurity, leadership and advanced technology. Additionally, she is the CEO of Strat Futures, a leaders consultancy company, and hosts the podcast Technology & Security, where she invites senior leaders and experts to discuss national security threats, international technology development, and share leadership advice.
Miah’s doctoral research examined the impact of big data on intelligence production and national security in Australia. As part of this research she was able to interview participants from across the Australian National Intelligence Community. Her research forms the basis of her book ‘Big Data, Emerging Technologies and Intelligence’, which is a fascinating insight into the challenges emergent technology is posing within the Australian intelligence community.
The interview was conducted by NZIIP Board Member, Donna McQuaid.
Introduction
The interview started with a discussion of the book origins. As part of the research for her doctorate she spoke with 47 members of the intelligence community, as well as five subject matter experts. When asked how she found her participants, she explained that it started with a direct approach, either to the media teams for each of the agencies, or to senior leaders outlining her research parameters. Because the topic was timely and relevant to the community, many were willing to engage. Once she found the first couple of participants, they would recommend someone else and a lot of the momentum came from that word of mouth referral.
Miah also highlighted the role and importance of two senior female mentors. Their personal endorsements unlocked access to people and conversations that Miah couldn’t have reached on her own. Another key source of insight was came from those who have retired from the community, as they could speak to their experiences in ways that current members often cannot.
The challenge of emerging technologies
The next question focused on the biggest challenges for governments when it comes to emerging technologies. Miah pointed to the rapid evolution of AI and other technologies especially as they interest with shifting dynamics in the international order. However, the emergence of new technologies isn’t unprecedented. She referenced an interview from her podcast with Sir David Omand, former Director of the UK Government Communications Headquarters, who noted that the intelligence community has always innovated and adapted to new technologies, and he believed they would continue to do so.
For Miah, the primary challenge posed by emergent technologies is their role in amplifying the number and type of threats we face today. They are also increasingly linked to the emergence of social harm as a national security issue.
Legislation tensions
Donna noted that several participants in Miah’s research had expressed concern that legislation wasn’t keeping pace with these technological changes. Miah expanded on this, by citing the example of how big data makes it difficult to identify the exact point of collection. Collection against Australian citizens is subject to different (and more protective) laws than collection against foreign entities. Big data scrapes large amounts of data indiscriminately, and the analyst might not understand what has been collected until after it has been analysed. This creates a tension, as democracies hold the citizen’s right to privacy to a higher level of scrutiny and protection, which big data inadvertently challenges. It’s a known concern though, and the Australian Government reviewed the legislation as part of the 2024 Independent Intelligence Review. It was decided that the existing legislation remains fit for purpose, despite the increasing complexities of the collection landscape.
AI and the Intelligence Cycle
Miah went on to discuss AI’s impact on the intelligence cycle, noting both its potential to enhance and complicate each stage. Although there was increasing use purposes, it was important to note that output depended heavily on the quality of the source data. Ethical considerations also play a key role in how AI is adopted by the intelligence community. Miah suggested that potential uses could include in brainstorming trajectories and possibilities, but that analysis and deciding what to include and what to omit needed to remain in the realm of the analyst. AI adoption is likely to be progress incrementally, with advancements made at the teams or agency level rather than uniformly across the community.
National Security Impacts
The conversation then turned to emerging technologies and which ones had the potential to significantly impact national security. Miah identified synthetic biology (the engineering of new biological systems, or the redesigning of existing ones), neurotechnology (the use of technology to monitor, understand or influence how the brain works), and quantum computing as key areas to watch. However, she noted that predicting which technologies would prove both successful and significant is difficult, as their impact depends on factors like availability and adoption rates.
This led Donna to raise a question around the restrictions based on intelligence agencies compared to their adversaries. Legal and ethical considerations can slow down the adoption of new technologies, giving an edge to those operating outside such frameworks. Still, Miah cautioned that technology doesn’t automatically translate into intelligence advantage. The purpose of intelligence is to support decision-making, and analysts are need to provide context, explain their choices, and shape assessments to support those decisions. Without understanding how a technology produces its outputs, it can’t be used autonomously for intelligence assessments.
Quantum Computing
Quantum computing was the next topic, based on an audience question. Donna asked Miah to explain what it is, and she described it as an advancement in that allows a computer to consider more complex variables simultaneously. While Australia has invested heavily in quantum research, broadly felt practical applications of quantum computing are still some years away. Although, other areas of quantum, including navigation and encryption are on different timelines.
New Technologies and Public Trust
The next question explored whether government use of new technologies could affect public trust. Miah emphasised that in a democratic society, this trust is critical and the legitimacy of intelligence agencies and the work they conduct is reliant upon it. While challenges exist, most agencies are actively working to become more transparent and engage more readily with the public.
Integration of AI into OSINT Workflows
An audience member then asked about integrating generative AI into OSINT workflows, and if it would still be important to keep a human ‘in the loop’. Miah stressed that although AI models had their uses, intelligence production requires a clear focus on a defined problem. Any system would need to be comprehensively tested to ensure they are solving the right problems before an agency would allocate money and resources to it. Currently, many popular uses of AI remain in the realm of entertainment. For example, the recent release of ChatGPT 4.0 leading to a flood of Studio Ghibli-style images across social media. The outputs are impressive, but in this example there are legal concerns that have yet to be resolved. AI does not yet have the levels of transparency, trust and critical thinking that decision-makers expect from their analysts. It has a great potential to supplement human cognition, but the relationship and trust is between the intelligence producers and the consumers, not the technology.
Challenges for Smaller Nations
Donna then asked how smaller countries such as Australia and New Zealand could adapt to the rapidly changing intelligence landscape, particularly in comparison to larger countries with greater resources. Miah noted that this imbalance has always existed. The Five Eyes nations have never been equal in terms of size, but the relationship has evolved to ensure there is minimal duplication, and that the burden-sharing of intelligence is shared fairly.
Private vs Public Sector Advances
The next question discussed the potential decline in qualitative and face-to-face research due to the high cost of keeping up with private sector technology. Miah commented that advances in private sector technology do not necessarily meet the needs of the intelligence community, and that both academic and intelligence community research are necessary. Some countries, such as the US and the UK, manage this exceptionally well, even to the point of enabling security clearance research.
Final Thoughts: Career Reflections
Donna closed the interview by asking what advice Miah would give to someone starting a national security career today. She replied that it was important to understand your motivations and what you wanted. If you want to be part of the action, join a team or an organisation that focuses on being in the action. Be open to different opportunities, and learn to transition to different roles and paces of work. Miah now chooses roles that align with her strengths, but she only discovered those strengths through trying different experiences. Early in her career she gravitated towards roles that looked interesting, that involved travel or deployments, that let her try new things. Where she is now is not where she started, but she wouldn’t have got here without those early opportunities to figure out what she was good at and what she really wanted to do with her career.
NZIIP would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr Hammond-Errey for taking the time to talk to our community and share her insights.