In this episode, we have a wide-ranging conversation with Chris MacPherson on cognitive security and how it relates to business and innovation to include comparative examples between corporate marketing and military information operations, as well as algorithmic versus human decision-making.
Listeners who are interested in a good book which touches upon these themes should check out: Farsighted by Steven Johnson.
We also mentioned this interesting example of a clever, low cost way of tainting information feeds. 99 smartphones are transported in a handcart to generate virtual traffic jam in Google Maps. Through this activity, it is possible to turn a green street red which has an impact in the physical world by navigating cars on another route to avoid being stuck in traffic.
Mr. Chris MacPherson has had a diverse career spanning academia, government and the private sector — holding leadership, technical, and strategic roles focused on developing strategies, teams, capabilities and products to understand and augment decision-making. For example, at the global macro hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, Chris applied data systems to enable transformational change. Prior to Bridgewater, he spent over a decade focusing on technology, defense and national security issues for the US Government, with roles at the National Security Agency, the White House Situation Room, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He currently oversees government programs, marketing, and strategic initiatives at Shift.org, a San Francisco based labor marketplace for veterans. He is also an Adjunct Faculty member at Princeton University’s Keller Center for Innovation in Engineering Education, and he runs Shadestream Innovations, an innovation consulting business.
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