Cognitive Warfare
Cognitive warfare is still warfare. AI and digital platform economies present new challenges and risks in an increasingly uncertain world but also offer new methods and approaches. Freedom, peace, democracy, respect for the law and human rights, and the international rules-based order are worldwide measures of defence. Populism and protectionism are growing rapidly. Disinformation, particularly from autocratic states, poses a threat to the final line of defence for peace, freedom and justice — the informed citizen. Cognitive warfare directly targets that ability. It rarely storms the gates. Instead, it floods the information environment with doubt until trust wears thin, leaving the remaining institutions without the confidence of those they serve.
"Cognitive Warfare: A Democratic Defence" takes this challenge seriously and does something rarer than diagnose it; it sets out how democracies can respond. Drawing on more than one hundred interviews across fifteen countries and the experiences of Ukraine, Finland, Sweden, the Baltic States, and others, the author demonstrates that an effective defence begins with a strong society: one with trust, civic life, and a shared sense of what is worth protecting.
The message is both sobering and encouraging for the societies in Canada and Europe. Neither region has built institutions that match the cognitive dimension of today's threats. However, the groundwork for cooperation is already in place through the Canada–EU Security and Defence Partnership, the Digital Partnership Council, and the Canada–Germany Digital Alliance. What is missing is working-level commitment to utilize these partnerships. The author demonstrates how the partners complement one another. Europe brings regulatory reach and deep civic education traditions, while Canada brings strong detection capacity and a long history of partnering with fellow democracies.
The report reminds us that democratic resilience is a shared resource. No country can defend it alone, and the opportunity to act together will not remain open indefinitely.
Strengthening the relationship between Canada and Germany, and bridging it to the European Union, is the work of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Canada. In times of uncertainty, it is of utmost importance to discuss the risks of cognitive warfare among young people.
We are thankful for the deep research carried out by the author, Elizabeth Anderson, who served as Research Director for this project and is a Fellow at the Montreal Institute for Global Security, and for the guidance of Ambassador Eitvydas Bajarūnas, former Ambassador of Lithuania to the United Kingdom, Russia and Sweden, who served as the project’s Distinguished Advisor. There could hardly be a better time for a debate about the threats to democracy.
Bernd Althusmann, Director, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung – Canada Office
