AI and Open Source Resear

The world in which conflicts unfold—and in which conflict professionals operate—has fundamentally changed. Traditional conflict research relies on academic literature, official reports, interviews, and retrospective accounts. While valuable, this model assumes the conflict has ended, key actors are known, and reliable documentation exists. Increasingly, these assumptions no longer hold. What happens when the conflict you are studying is unfolding in real time? There is no definitive report, no academic consensus, and the most influential actors may be informal, networked, or deliberately hidden. They do not give interviews or appear in official datasets. By the time traditional analysis is published, the conflict has already evolved, and the opportunity to influence outcomes has passed—often leaving behind accounts shaped by incomplete or manipulated information. In this environment, conflict professionals must become masters of the information domain. This course is built on a simple but uncomfortable reality: to meaningfully engage with contemporary conflict, you must be able to “write your own book” while events are unfolding. Based on the instructor’s professional experience, Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are not optional—they are often the only viable tools. OSINT leverages publicly available digital information to identify stakeholders when no formal list exists, map informal power structures, and track narratives, resources, and influence in real time. Generative AI amplifies this capability, enabling analysts to process vast amounts of data, test hypotheses, detect patterns, and build custom analytical tools without advanced programming skills. This represents a structural shift. Only with this self-reliant foundation can practitioners effectively apply traditional theories and frameworks—otherwise their analysis risks being shaped by information that has been strategically manipulated. In modern conflicts, even well-intentioned research can unintentionally amplify the narratives of sophisticated actors engaged in information warfare. The relevance of these skills extends beyond conflict analysis. Today’s job market increasingly values AI integration, OSINT proficiency, and strong writing and storytelling. Professionals who combine these capabilities are already operating at significantly higher levels of speed, productivity, and impact across fields such as d