Dana Barnes, President of Government at Dataminr

September 8, 2024

Presented by Dataminr

The Strategic Evolution of Publicly Available Information in National Security

Dana Barnes, President of Government at Dataminr, shares the transformative role of publicly available information (PAI) in government operations, particularly within the intelligence community. Barnes highlighted that PAI has become a core component of how federal agencies gather, analyze and utilize information. The Department of Defense’s 2019 directive establishing PAI as an operational tool marked a significant shift, formalizing its use and creating a PAI Advisory Council to ensure its application is safe and responsible, especially concerning American citizens' privacy. Barnes explains that different agencies may approach PAI usage differently, but a general framework has emerged, focused on responsible use cases such as disaster response, global awareness with local impacts, and early warning systems for cyber threats. Artificial intelligence, according to Barnes, is essential for managing the vast amounts of data involved, making it possible to extract meaningful insights that would be otherwise unmanageable.

Key Takeaways:

1. PAI has become an essential tool in government operations, with a focus on responsible and effective use cases.
2. The convergence of physical and cyber security highlights the growing importance of integrated approaches to national security.
3. Artificial intelligence is crucial for processing and analyzing the massive amounts of data involved in PAI, enabling timely and actionable insights.