The new intelligence age: surveillance, espionage and power
- Submission status
- Open
- Submission deadline
This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions.
The nature of espionage and surveillance is being reshaped by rapid technological change and intensifying geopolitical competition. Intelligence is no longer confined to secret state agencies — it now permeates economic systems, digital infrastructures, cultural production, and everyday life.
At the same time, the role of the traditional intelligence officer is evolving. Established practices focused on human intelligence (HUMINT) are increasingly complemented, or replaced, by data-driven approaches, automation, and algorithmic analysis.
The rise of artificial intelligence, cyber operations, and algorithmic governance has transformed the practice of intelligence and how it is studied. Intelligence work now involves hybrid forms of knowledge production, combining HUMINT with signals intelligence (SIGINT), open-source intelligence (OSINT), and emerging data-centric methods. These changes prompt important questions about expertise, judgement, accountability, and the future identity of the intelligence professional, as well as the broader diffusion of intelligence practices across society.
We invite research exploring the transformation of espionage, intelligence, and information-gathering in the contemporary world. This collection seeks contributions from across a range of fields, including political science, history, sociology, media studies, law, anthropology, philosophy, science and technology studies, and criminology. Contributions may be theoretical, empirical, historical, or comparative.
Research is welcomed on a range of themes, including:
- The global intelligence race and geopolitical dynamics
- AI, automation, and the changing role of intelligence analysis
- Cyber espionage and digital surveillance infrastructures
- Economic espionage and data extraction
- Information warfare, disinformation, and influence operations
- Intelligence beyond Earth: space, satellites, and lunar surveillance
- The evolving role and identity of intelligence officers and HUMIT
- Intelligence cultures, secrecy, and organisational behaviour
- Law, ethics, and democratic accountability in intelligence systems
- Citizen intelligence literacy and societal resilience to manipulation
- Intelligence in media, literature, and popular culture
- Societal reactions to surveillance and intelligence gathering
- State and non-state actors in the realm of intelligence gathering and surveillance
