"A new age of synthetic asymmetry is emerging, one defined not by geography or ingenuity but by the convergence of technologies that enable small actors to wreak large-scale disruption. Unlike past asymmetry, which grew organically out of circumstance, this new form is engineered. It is synthetic, built from code, data, algorithms, satellites, and biotech labs. Here, "synthetic" carries a double meaning: it is both man-made and the product of synthesis, where disparate technologies combine to produce effects greater than the sum of their parts."
"Nineteenth and 20th century resistance fighters, from Spain's guerrilleros against Napoleon to Mao's partisans in China, pioneered strategies that leveraged terrain, mobility, and popular support to frustrate superior armies. These methods set the template for Vietnam, where North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces offset American firepower by blending into the population and stretching the war into a contest of political will."
A new age of synthetic asymmetry is emerging, driven by the engineered convergence of code, data, algorithms, satellites, and biotech that enables small actors to wreak large-scale disruption. Synthetic asymmetry is both man-made and the result of synthesis, where disparate technologies combine to produce effects greater than the sum of their parts. Power increasingly depends on the ability to combine technologies faster and more effectively rather than on army size or treasury depth. Historical asymmetric tactics relied on mobility, terrain, and improvised weapons, from guerrillas and IEDs to Stinger missiles. The rise of synthetic tools transforms the strategic balance and deepens risks for global security.
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