The Darwin Monkey System represents a substantive pivot from conventional AI toward synthetic cognition through neuromorphic architectures that emulate the structural and functional dynamics of the brain. This capability extends beyond data-driven computation to enable neuro-mimetic modeling, self-referential processing, and predictive insight into human cognition. While these advances offer opportunities for performance optimization, they also introduce profound ethical and strategic concerns, particularly in cognitive warfare and influence operations. Addressing these challenges demands immediate, deliberate action: parallel investment to ensure technological parity, development of operational policies, and establishment of frameworks for cognitive security.

Read the paper

Dr. James Giordano is the Director of the INSS Center for Disruptive Technology and Future Warfare. Elise Annett is an Institutional Research Associate at the National Defense University.