By Gregory F. Treverton and C. Bryan Gabbard (January 2026)

As global competition becomes increasingly shaped by geopolitical shifts, emerging technologies, and complex interconnected risks, the U.S. Intelligence Community faces a growing challenge: moving beyond tactical intelligence toward true strategic insight.

In “Rethinking Strategic Intelligence,” Gregory F. Treverton and C. Bryan Gabbard argue that decades of focus on counterterrorism and battlefield support have weakened the Intelligence Community’s ability to anticipate long-term global trends and provide decision-makers with strategic foresight. The authors advocate for a new model of intelligence that emphasizes context, collaboration, future-oriented analysis, open-source intelligence, artificial intelligence, and stronger partnerships between intelligence professionals, policymakers, academia, and the private sector.

Rather than simply producing intelligence reports, they propose transforming strategic intelligence into a collaborative process that helps leaders understand emerging opportunities, connect seemingly unrelated developments, and make better-informed decisions in an increasingly uncertain world.

This paper offers important insights for national security professionals, policymakers, researchers, and anyone interested in the future of intelligence and strategic decision-making.

Read the full research paper by Gregory F. Treverton and C. Bryan Gabbard