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Draft:August Cole

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August Cole

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August Cole is an author, and analyst in national security and a former defense industry reporter[1] for the Wall Street Journal.[2][3][4] With Peter Singer, he is the co-author of best-seller Ghost Fleet: A Novel of the Next World War [5]and Burn In: A Novel of the Real Robotic Revolution.[6] He is a co-founder and a managing partner at Useful Fiction LLC[7], which works at the center of narrative foresight, and change management focused on defense and security[8].

Current Positions

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Cole serves as Co-founder and Managing Partner at Useful Fiction LLC[9], a strategic advisory firm that works at the center of narrative, foresight, and change management focused on defense and security. Useful Fiction's work with US,[10] UK[11], and other allied militaries and government agencies includes commissioned fictional narratives designed to help military planners envision and prepare for future operational challenges. The firm specializes in developing immersive workshops,[12] writing future-focused fiction, and training senior decision-makers on the strategic use of storytelling methodologies for scenario planning and strategic foresight.[13]

August Cole holds the position of Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council.[14] The Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security works to develop sustainable, nonpartisan strategies to address the most important security challenges facing the United States and its allies and partners.[15] In his work at the Atlantic Council and at the Scowcroft Center, Cole contributes expertise[16] on future warfare scenarios, narrative-based strategic planning, and the integration of emerging technologies into defense planning processes[17], speaking at events such as the 2024 AI Expo in Washington DC,[18] and appearing on the MARSOC podcast.[19] His work includes exploring future conflict scenarios through the Atlantic Council's Art of Future Warfare initiatives,[20] developing FICINT methodologies for strategic planning applications,[21] and advocating for enhanced integration of artificial intelligence in military operations, including his influential argument for establishing an Algorithmic Warfare Group.[22]

Additionally, Cole serves as an Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), Britain's leading defense and security think tank.[23] Through RUSI, he contributes to defense and security research from an international perspective, working with British and allied military organizations to explore future conflict scenarios and strategic challenges facing NATO and partner nations. His work primarily focuses on how military science fiction can inform strategic thinking, exemplified by his analytical reviews published in the RUSI Journal, including his 2018 piece "Science Fiction and the Military Reader: A Review of The Forever War Graphic Novel"[24] and his 2022 commentary, "Imagining the Third World War."[25] Cole is also a frequent guest on RUSI Journal Radio, where he has appeared on episodes such as "Fiction and Future Wars," highlighting the value of science fiction for military leaders,[26] and the 2024 episode "2024 in Review Through Books, Films and Pop Culture," where he reflected on global events with Professor David Gioe.[27]

Previous Roles and Fellowships

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Cole has held several prestigious academic and research fellowships throughout his career. He served as a nonresident senior fellow at the Modern War Institute at West Point, where he contributed to military education and strategic thinking through research and analysis on contemporary warfare issues.[28]

From 2014 to 2017, Cole directed the Atlantic Council's Art of Future Warfare Project, housed within the Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security.[29][30] This innovative initiative promoted the use of creative works, including fiction and multimedia content, to explore and understand potential future conflicts and their implications. Under his direction, the project organized events examining "the art of World War III," bringing together leading artists and crowdsourced contributions to visualize future warfare scenarios.[31]

At the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), Cole served as a researcher on the "Warring With Machines" project from January 2020 to December 2023, examining military applications of artificial intelligence and the relevance of virtue ethics.[32][33] Working alongside Greg Reichberg and George Lucas, Cole focused on military strategy in AI applications and stakeholder relations. The project resulted in publications including "Artificial Intelligence in Military Planning and Operations" and contributed to scholarly discourse on AI ethics in warfare.[34][35]

He is also affiliated with The Pearson Institute at the University of Chicago as a participant in their Global Forum on security and peace studies.[36] Cole has served as a nonresident fellow at the Brute Krulak Center for Innovation and Creativity at Marine Corps University, appearing as a speaker and on their podcast #BruteCast.[37][38][39]

His speaking engagements have taken him to prestigious venues including the Nobel Institute in Oslo[40][41][42][43], SXSW Interactive[44][45], and West Point[46], where he has lectured on future warfare and strategic foresight.[47] Cole has also presented at Fort Benning[48] and other military installations, contributing to professional military education through his expertise in narrative-based strategic analysis[49][50][51][52].

Journalism Background

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From 2007 to 2010, Cole worked as a defense industry reporter for The Wall Street Journal, based in Washington, D.C.[53][54][55][56][57] During his tenure at the Journal, he covered companies ranging from Boeing to Blackwater[58], as well as broader defense policy and political matters.[59][60][61] Cole helped break several major national security stories during his time at The Wall Street Journal, including reporting on foreign cyber spies hacking into the U.S. Joint Strike Fighter program, major defense contractors conducting "Smart Power" development work in Africa, U.S. sales of F-16 fighters to Iraq, and a Blackwater civilian shooting incident[62] in Afghanistan.[63][64][65] Prior to his work at The Wall Street Journal, Cole worked as an editor and reporter for MarketWatch.com[66][67] from 1998 to 2006, where he developed his skills in financial[68] and business reporting[69].[70][71][72] His journalism background and investigative reporting experience in defense and national security matters has informed his subsequent work as a fiction writer and strategic analyst, particularly in his exploration of future warfare scenarios and defense policy issues.

Books

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Ghost Fleet: A Novel of the Next World War

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Ghost Fleet: A Novel of the Next World War (2015) (Eamon Dolan/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015, ISBN 0544142845) is a speculative military thriller co-authored by Cole and P.W. Singer.[73] The novel explores a fictional near-future global conflict involving the United States, China, and Russia, incorporating real-world military technologies and current geopolitical trends to create a plausible warfare scenario across sea, land, air, space, and cyberspace domains.[74] [75]The book formally introduced the concept of "Fictional Intelligence" (FICINT), which the authors describe as a methodology that blends deeply researched trends and technologies with compelling narrative fiction to help military and policy audiences better envision and prepare for future conflicts.[76][77][78][79] The authors extensively footnoted the book to direct readers to source material demonstrating how close to reality their fictional technologies and scenarios are.[80] The novel received significant attention from the defense analyst community, such as Foreign Policy[81] and various military institutions[82][83][84][85], unusual for a work of fiction.[86] Multiple reviewers have compared it to Tom Clancy's work, with one noting it is "written in a manner reminiscent of Tom Clancy and W.E.B. Griffin."[87] The book has been included on the professional reading lists of major branches of the U.S. military, including the U.S. Army Chief of Staff Professional Reading List,[88][89][90][91] as well as those of military focused academic institutions[92].

Burn-In: A Novel of the Real Robotic Revolution

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Cole's second collaboration with Singer, Burn-In: A Novel of the Real Robotic Revolution (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2020), explores near-future law enforcement through the story of FBI Special Agent Lara Keegan and her AI-powered robot partner.[93] The novel follows the authors' established methodology of grounding speculative fiction in current technological realities, incorporating extensive research into artificial intelligence, robotics, and automation.[94]

Publishers Weekly described the work as "a perceptive near-future techno-thriller,"[95] while Foreign Policy noted that the novel's scenarios represent "logical and uncomfortable extensions of choices consumers and governments make every day."[96] The book received particular attention from law enforcement professionals, with one reviewer noting that it "fascinated and scared me as a cop, spy, writer, and citizen."[97] The novel contributed to ongoing discussions about artificial intelligence ethics in law enforcement and government policy. Academic reviewers praised its examination of the intersection between technological advancement and civil liberties, with the American University School of International Service noting the work's relevance to contemporary debates about AI deployment in policing.[98] The Council on Foreign Relations highlighted the book's potential as a cautionary tale for policymakers considering the implementation of robotic systems in domestic security.[99] The book features detailed footnotes and sourcing, reflecting the authors' commitment to educational storytelling through their "Useful Fiction" and FICINT approach.

References

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  1. ^ "BIO". AUGUST COLE / author / speaker/futurist. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  2. ^ "August Cole". Slate Magazine. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  3. ^ Cole, August (2008-12-03). "Blackwater Plans Effort Against Piracy". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  4. ^ Gorman, Siobhan; Cole, August; Dreazen, Yochi (2009-04-21). "Computer Spies Breach Fighter-Jet Project". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  5. ^ "Ghost Fleet Book". Ghost Fleet Book. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  6. ^ "Burn-In: A Novel of the Real Robotic Revolution | Center for International Maritime Security". 2020-05-26. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  7. ^ "About Us, Useful Fiction". Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  8. ^ "What we do, Useful Fiction". Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  9. ^ "About us, Useful Fiction". Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  10. ^ Seck, Hope Hodge (2024-11-19). "Army taps 'Ghost Fleet' authors to write novel on multi-domain warfare". Military Times. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  11. ^ "Stories from the Future: exploring new technology through useful fiction". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  12. ^ "What We Do1, Useful Fiction". Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  13. ^ "What we do, Useful Fiction". Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  14. ^ "August Cole". Atlantic Council. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  15. ^ "Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security". Atlantic Council. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  16. ^ abassoli (2024-11-21). "August Cole mentioned in the Military Times about his new novel". Atlantic Council. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  17. ^ Council, Atlantic (2015-06-26). "Cole: The Art of World War III". Atlantic Council. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  18. ^ gmatchett (2024-05-07). "Cole spoke at the 2024 AI Expo in Washington DC". Atlantic Council. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  19. ^ kwinzerwilks (2025-05-13). "Cole interviews US Marine Corps Major General Peter D. Huntley on MARSOC podcast". Atlantic Council. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  20. ^ August Cole (2019). "The Art of World War III". Atlantic Council. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  21. ^ August Cole (2020). "Thinking the Unthinkable with Useful Fiction". Journal of Future Conflict via Atlantic Council. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  22. ^ August Cole (December 2021). "Left of Beep: The United States Needs an Algorithmic Warfare Group". War on the Rocks. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  23. ^ "August Cole". Royal United Services Institute. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  24. ^ August Cole (January 22, 2018). "Science Fiction and the Military Reader: A Review of The Forever War Graphic Novel". RUSI Journal. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  25. ^ "Imagining the Third World War". RUSI Journal. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  26. ^ "Episode 3: Fiction and Future Wars". RUSI Journal Radio. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  27. ^ "Episode 4: 2024 in Review Through Books, Films and Pop Culture". RUSI Journal Radio. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  28. ^ Modern War Institute. "August Cole." West Point. Retrieved 2025. https://mwi.westpoint.edu/august-cole/
  29. ^ Atlantic Council. "August Cole." Expert Profile. Retrieved 2025. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/expert/august-cole/
  30. ^ Royal United Services Institute. "August Cole." People Profile. Retrieved 2025. https://www.rusi.org/people/cole-0
  31. ^ Atlantic Council. "Cole: The Art of World War III." August 24, 2019. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/insight-impact/in-the-news/cole-the-art-of-world-war-iii/
  32. ^ Peace Research Institute Oslo. "August Cole." People Profile. Retrieved 2025. https://www.prio.org/people/11883
  33. ^ Peace Research Institute Oslo. "Warring with Machines: Military Applications of Artificial Intelligence and the Relevance of Virtue Ethics." Project Profile. Retrieved 2025. https://www.prio.org/projects/1859
  34. ^ Peace Research Institute Oslo. "Gregory M. Reichberg." Publications. Retrieved 2025. https://www.prio.org/people/5036
  35. ^ Atlantic Council. "Cole publishes with the Peace Research Institute Oslo on AI and military operations." January 25, 2024. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/insight-impact/in-the-news/cole-ai-and-military-operations/
  36. ^ The Pearson Institute. "August Cole." Speaker Profile. Retrieved 2025. https://thepearsoninstitute.org/globalforum/speaker/august-cole
  37. ^ The Krulak Center (2020-10-24). #BruteCast Ep. 20 - August Cole, "Useful Fiction and Future War". Retrieved 2025-06-22 – via YouTube.
  38. ^ "August Cole | The Pearson Institute". thepearsoninstitute.org. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  39. ^ Peace Research Institute Oslo. "August Cole." People Profile. Retrieved 2025. https://www.prio.org/people/11883
  40. ^ "August Cole". www.rusi.org. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  41. ^ "BIO". AUGUST COLE / author / speaker/futurist. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  42. ^ "August Cole | The Pearson Institute". thepearsoninstitute.org. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  43. ^ "About". August Cole. 2010-05-28. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  44. ^ "August Cole". SXSW 2025 Schedule. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  45. ^ "PanelPicker | SXSW Conference & Festivals". SXSW Conference & Festival. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  46. ^ mwiadmin (2016-04-07). "August Cole - Modern War Institute". mwi.westpoint.edu. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  47. ^ Royal United Services Institute. "August Cole." People Profile. Retrieved 2025. https://www.rusi.org/people/cole-0
  48. ^ "Author discusses theoretical future conflict". www.army.mil. 2016-02-23. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  49. ^ "Episode 34 - August Cole Talks About the Futuristic Military". U.S. Naval Institute. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  50. ^ kwinzerwilks (2025-05-20). "Cole speaks about the role of fiction and narrative in current affairs on the Marine Corps Association Scuttlebutt podcast". Atlantic Council. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  51. ^ "August Cole, co-author of "Ghost Fleet," discusses future technological warfare with Marine information group in Okinawa". DVIDS. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  52. ^ "332. Realer than Real: Useful Fiction with P.W. Singer and August Cole | Mad Scientist Laboratory". 2021-06-10. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  53. ^ Crovitz, L. Gordon (2015-07-12). "Portents of World Cyberwar". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  54. ^ Atlantic Council. "August Cole." Expert Profile. Retrieved 2025. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/expert/august-cole/
  55. ^ Cole, August. "About." Personal Website. Retrieved 2025. https://augustcole.wordpress.com/about/
  56. ^ American Security Project. "August Cole." About. Retrieved 2025. https://www.americansecurityproject.org/about/august-cole/
  57. ^ "August Cole". American Security Project. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  58. ^ Cole, August (2008-12-03). "Blackwater Plans Effort Against Piracy". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  59. ^ Dreazen, August Cole And Yochi J. (2010-01-30). "Pentagon Review Shows Strategy Shift". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  60. ^ Gorman, Siobhan; Cole, August; Dreazen, Yochi (2009-04-21). "Computer Spies Breach Fighter-Jet Project". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  61. ^ Cole, August. "About." Personal Website. Retrieved 2025. https://augustcole.wordpress.com/about/
  62. ^ Perez, Evan; Cole, August (2008-12-09). "Manslaughter Charges in Blackwater Case". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  63. ^ Cole, August (2009-08-24). "Makers of Military Drones Take Off". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  64. ^ Atlantic Council. "August Cole." Expert Profile. Retrieved 2025. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/expert/august-cole/
  65. ^ Cole, August. "About." Personal Website. Retrieved 2025. https://augustcole.wordpress.com/about/
  66. ^ Cole, August (2005-05-16). "Fresh bid to lift veil on security work". MarketWatch. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  67. ^ Cole, August (2005-05-12). "J.P. Morgan rediscovers Northwest Air". MarketWatch. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  68. ^ Cole, August (2005-06-16). "America West shares taking off". MarketWatch. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  69. ^ Cole, August (2006-04-19). "General Dynamics tops forecasts". MarketWatch. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  70. ^ Atlantic Council. "August Cole." Expert Profile. Retrieved 2025. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/expert/august-cole/
  71. ^ American Security Project. "August Cole." About. Retrieved 2025. https://www.americansecurityproject.org/about/august-cole/
  72. ^ Royal United Services Institute. "August Cole." People Profile. Retrieved 2025. https://www.rusi.org/people/cole-0
  73. ^ Singer, P.W.; Cole, August (2015). Ghost Fleet: A Novel of the Next World War. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 978-0544142848.
  74. ^ Grounded Curiosity. "Book Review – Ghost Fleet by P.W. Singer and August Cole." April 3, 2021. https://groundedcuriosity.com/book-review-ghost-fleet-by-p-w-singer-and-august-cole/
  75. ^ "Ghost Fleet Book". Ghost Fleet Book. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  76. ^ Seck, Hope Hodge (2020-05-27). "From 'Ghost Fleet' to Robot Warfare: Q&A with the Authors of 'Burn-In'". Military.com. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  77. ^ Murphy, Ian (2024-07-03). "A Review of 'Ghost Fleet' by August Cole and P. W. Singer". Safe Spaces. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  78. ^ "FicInt: Anticipating Tomorrow's Conflict". U.S. Naval Institute. 2021-03-04. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  79. ^ "The Uses and Limits of Speculative Fiction: Three Novels about a US–China War". Air University (AU).
  80. ^ Amazon. "Ghost Fleet: A Novel of the Next World War." Customer Reviews. Retrieved 2025. https://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Fleet-Novel-Next-World/dp/054470505X
  81. ^ Luce, Dan De (2025-06-25). "A Novel About War With China Strikes a Chord at the Pentagon". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  82. ^ "CIA Review of Ghost Fleet" (PDF).
  83. ^ Seck, Hope Hodge (2024-11-19). "Army taps 'Ghost Fleet' authors to write novel on multi-domain warfare". Military Times. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  84. ^ Seck, Hope Hodge (2024-11-19). "Army taps 'Ghost Fleet' authors to write novel on multi-domain warfare". Military Times. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  85. ^ Huitt, Desiree (2016-06-03). "'Ghost Fleet', a fictional novel that challenges military leaders' to rethink their view of threat capabilities and U.S. vulnerabilities". SOFREP. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  86. ^ Lowy Institute. "Book Review: Ghost Fleet." The Interpreter. Retrieved 2025. https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/book-review-ghost-fleet
  87. ^ Tales of an Asia Sailor. "Ghost Fleet…A Review." March 27, 2021. https://garlanddavis.net/2016/01/16/ghost-fleet-a-review/
  88. ^ "U.S. Pacific Command's Professional Reading and Movie List". www.pacom.mil. Archived from the original on 2025-04-17. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  89. ^ "Commandant's Professional Reading List (Entry Level) - Marine Corps Association". www.mca-marines.org. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  90. ^ "Army Professional Reading List" (PDF).
  91. ^ [Citation needed - this claim appears in multiple biographical sources but requires verification from official military reading list sources]
  92. ^ Keller, Emily. "Library Guides: Military Studies: Military Science professional reading list". guides.lib.uw.edu. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  93. ^ "Burn-In: A Novel of the Real Robotic Revolution". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  94. ^ "A review of "Burn-In" by P.W. Singer and August Cole". Foreign Affairs. August 11, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  95. ^ "Burn-In: A Novel of the Real Robotic Revolution". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  96. ^ "A review of "Burn-In" by P.W. Singer and August Cole". Foreign Affairs. August 11, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  97. ^ "'Burn-In' Is a Worryingly Accurate Vision of Future Policing". Foreign Policy. May 6, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  98. ^ "A Review of Burn-In: A Novel of the Real Robotic Revolution". American University. June 10, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  99. ^ "With "Burn-In," Cole and Singer Show Us the Robotic Future We Need to Avoid". Council on Foreign Relations. October 7, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
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