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USA Today
14-02-2025
- USA Today
David E.A. Johnson: Evangelizing Hybrid Intelligence to Combat Global Security Threats
Kody Boye Contributor Hear this story For over 15 years, David E.A. Johnson dedicated his career to solving some of the world's most complex security challenges driven by criminal networks. In his time as the Executive Director of C4ADS (Center for Advanced Defense Studies), a nonprofit organization that combats global security threats, Johnson grew the center from two employees into a globally recognized think tank that has confronted countless international threats. He has stepped down from his role at C4ADS to forge a new path in the global security ecosystem. A visionary change leader, David Johnson is also on the boards of the Afghanistan International Business Council and the Indo-Pacific Counterproliferation Initiative. He is also on the advisory boards of the Special Operations Association of America and Rescue Global. Having published several papers on the matters of open-sourced, hybrid, and high-context intelligence, he presented the value of impact networks at the recent GSOF Indo-Pacific Irregular Warfare Symposium in Hawaii. Johnson's approach to difficult problems revolves around harnessing the collaborative power of human intelligence and technology (like artificial intelligence) to 'constructively disrupt' current ineffective, bureaucratic efforts. 'Some see AI as a security threat,' he explains. 'However, it's a tool. When properly combined with human ingenuity to enable the human to teach the AI and the AI to teach the human in a 'hybrid intelligence,' it can empower individuals to tackle highly complex challenges.' His journey to this conclusion starts at West Point in his military career. Commissioned in 1984, he spent 24 years cultivating a sense of duty that would come to define the rest of his life. His time in the US Army Special Forces cemented his duty of care, a life mission that comes from the Green Berets' motto: De Oppresso Liber ('to free the oppressed'). Johnson's service, spanning six conflicts and two wars, shaped his understanding of global systems and their vulnerabilities. This foundation drove his work with C4ADS, where he embraced the idea that geography and sovereignty are becoming increasingly less relevant in the fight for peace. 'There are billions of bytes and people flowing across borders, states are just the terrain across which social networks compete either legitimately or illegitimately. And criminal networks understand that being successful means moving their value from the illegal world to the legal one. This means that they leave a trail in transportation, communications, and finance systems, visible to anyone who knows where to look,' he explains. To combat the threat that these globalized illicit actors pose to peace and security, C4ADS built a team of talented young analysts, representing some of the brightest minds funneled from around the world. The nonprofit, which has received the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar, has developed state-of-the-art tools for large-scale data lakes and optimizing intelligence techniques in publicly available information. This allows them to collaborate across industries, governments, and NGOs— and manage the delicate relationships they must maintain to engineer real impact in the lives of those affected by insecurity. All this work empowers those seeking to fight criminal networks and it originates in the organization's leveraging of publicly available information. 'Awareness is not an impact,' as Johnson says. 'We're seeking to shape this globalized world we're in, to ensure that it's secure and prosperous for an open, pluralistic society.' After 15 years in his role at C4ADS, even as the nonprofit bloomed in its impact, late last year, Johnson made the difficult decision to step down. 'It was time,' he says. 'Varun Vira is continuing to push the mission forward as C4ADS' Executive Director. This enables me to build impact networks that will scale that mission.' He looks forward to uniting the many stakeholders of global peace and the systemic threats to maintaining it. His work is grounded in a three-layer model developed during his time at C4ADS: data management, analysis, and requirements. 'It's not just about finding the bad guys,' Johnson explains. 'It's about closing systemic holes and shaping the ecosystem for long-term impact.' Through building impact networks with private corporations, governments, and other NGOs, Johnson aims to shape an environment that sustains the process of surveillance, due diligence, and accountability. 'We need both a carrot and a stick. It is not enough to simply punish bad guys; we need to create opportunities for them to make their money legitimately.' A central theme of his concept is to empower the private and civil sectors to drive innovation from the bottom up. By working by, with, and through others and developing tools tailored to helping people solve global security challenges, Johnson aims to open access to the power of hybrid intelligence. David E.A. Johnson continues to disrupt the status quo of acquiescent information systems that lets global threats fall through the cracks and empower a new generation of impact-driven intelligence. 'The oath I took to defend the Constitution of the United States didn't end with me taking off the uniform. We're all here to create motion, synchronize around our strengths, and take what the world gives us and make something of it.'
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
China's control over 75% of Indonesia's nickel capacity raises concerns
Chinese companies currently control 75% of Indonesia's nickel refining capacity, raising concerns about supply chain resilience, according to a report by US-based global security non-profit the Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS). The ownership by Chinese companies can potentially impact global supply chains for the critical component used in electric vehicle (EV) batteries, according to the report. Global demand for nickel is expected to surge from around three million tonnes (mt) in 2023 to between 5mt and 6mt by 2040, primarily due to the expansion of clean energy technologies. In 2023, Indonesia and China together produced 65% of the world's refined nickel. From 2020 to 2023, Indonesia's portion of the worldwide refined nickel market increased from 23% to 27%, primarily as a result of raw nickel export bans implemented in 2014 and 2020. However, much of this capacity is foreign-owned, with 33 companies holding Indonesia's 8mt refining capacity. Shareholder overlap tracing revealed that Chinese companies control around three-quarters of this smelting capacity as of 2023. The report found that Tsingshan Holding Group and Jiangsu Delong Nickel Industry, two Chinese companies, account for more than 70% of Indonesia's refining capacity as of 2023. This ownership concentration raises concerns about industry dominance. Moreover, by 2030, Indonesia is projected to account for 44% of global refined nickel production. "As Indonesia aims to use the nickel industry for economic growth, this substantial foreign influence could limit its ability to control and shape the industry for its benefit," the report added. The dominance of Chinese companies in this sector places US and European automakers at a competitive disadvantage in the global EV market, especially amid increasingly restrictive trade policies with China, the report said. In an effort to make Indonesian nickel more accessible to the US market, Chinese companies have approached Indonesian and South Korean companies for potential partnerships to reduce their stakes in smelters, reported Reuters. Tsingshan has begun selling stakes in some of its smelters, including a 30% share of PT Jiu Long Metal Industry to Indonesian state miner Aneka Tambang in October. Indonesian Mining Minister Bahlil Lahadalia stated last month that President Prabowo Subianto has formed a task force to develop the downstream mineral industry through domestic financing, aiming to "gradually reduce the perception that foreigners got the most benefits", according to Reuters. "China's control over 75% of Indonesia's nickel capacity raises concerns" was originally created and published by Mining Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
China's control over 75% of Indonesia's nickel capacity raises concerns
Chinese companies currently control 75% of Indonesia's nickel refining capacity, raising concerns about supply chain resilience, according to a report by US-based global security non-profit the Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS). The ownership by Chinese companies can potentially impact global supply chains for the critical component used in electric vehicle (EV) batteries, according to the report. Global demand for nickel is expected to surge from around three million tonnes (mt) in 2023 to between 5mt and 6mt by 2040, primarily due to the expansion of clean energy technologies. In 2023, Indonesia and China together produced 65% of the world's refined nickel. From 2020 to 2023, Indonesia's portion of the worldwide refined nickel market increased from 23% to 27%, primarily as a result of raw nickel export bans implemented in 2014 and 2020. However, much of this capacity is foreign-owned, with 33 companies holding Indonesia's 8mt refining capacity. Shareholder overlap tracing revealed that Chinese companies control around three-quarters of this smelting capacity as of 2023. The report found that Tsingshan Holding Group and Jiangsu Delong Nickel Industry, two Chinese companies, account for more than 70% of Indonesia's refining capacity as of 2023. This ownership concentration raises concerns about industry dominance. Moreover, by 2030, Indonesia is projected to account for 44% of global refined nickel production. "As Indonesia aims to use the nickel industry for economic growth, this substantial foreign influence could limit its ability to control and shape the industry for its benefit," the report added. The dominance of Chinese companies in this sector places US and European automakers at a competitive disadvantage in the global EV market, especially amid increasingly restrictive trade policies with China, the report said. In an effort to make Indonesian nickel more accessible to the US market, Chinese companies have approached Indonesian and South Korean companies for potential partnerships to reduce their stakes in smelters, reported Reuters. Tsingshan has begun selling stakes in some of its smelters, including a 30% share of PT Jiu Long Metal Industry to Indonesian state miner Aneka Tambang in October. Indonesian Mining Minister Bahlil Lahadalia stated last month that President Prabowo Subianto has formed a task force to develop the downstream mineral industry through domestic financing, aiming to "gradually reduce the perception that foreigners got the most benefits", according to Reuters. "China's control over 75% of Indonesia's nickel capacity raises concerns" was originally created and published by Mining Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
