Navigating Noise

America won the war against Iran on the ground and lost it on the screen. Iran's axis of resistance has collapsed, its proxies are spent, its nuclear program is set back, yet Tehran got the Western internet to laugh along with an AI-generated Lego video that turned its mullahs into cuddly action figures and made American leadership look ineffectual. Tens of millions watched. We called it a mem...

When Trump called a meeting with Xi Jinping "the G-2," he may have admitted something Washington has spent years avoiding: China is no longer a rising challenger. It's a near-peer. Foreign-policy analyst Ali Wyne returns to Navigating Noise to unpack how that admission happened almost by accident, and what it means for the most consequential relationship of the century. Wyne, who wor...

When Russia invaded Ukraine, it wasn't a general who saw it coming first… it was Microsoft. Sensors planted across Ukraine picked up a massive spike in cyberattacks on banks, transport, and command-and-control, and the company picked up the phone and warned the White House. That moment, says intelligence veteran Emily Harding , is when the line between a tech company and a defense company quie...

Maggie Feldman-Piltch calls herself a propagandist, and she means it. She made stickers of Putin's face with the Barbie movie font that spread to over two dozen languages, and she found out he wasn't happy about them. That, she'll tell you, is the whole point. In this episode, Maggie joins Erol to break down why America is fighting an information war with both hands tied… constrained b...

Nickolas Wilcox is a Senior Program Manager at CACI International and one of the lead practitioners shaping the future of irregular warfare and operations in the information environment. He has spent his career on both sides of the tool: as the Green Beret who inherited the thing that didn't work, and now as the person helping build the next one. His argument is blunt: the bottleneck was never...

In this episode of Navigating Noise , host Erol Yayboke sits down with Chrissy Newton, Founder of VOCAB Communications. They dive into the world of UFOs and UAPs through the lens of data analysis, emotional storytelling, and government transparency. Chrissy shares how her team approaches real eyewitness accounts, the surprising psychology behind belief in the unexplained, and how the UFO community...

A new normal? In this episode, Rorry Daniels, Managing Director of the Asia Society Policy Institute, and Erol Yayboke discuss U.S. - China competition and the changing global order. Rorry shares her surprising path from underground theater in LA to China policy leadership, and unpacks the misunderstood layers of the U.S.–China relationship, from national identity and economic anxiety to why both...

The world is changing faster than our assumptions can keep up. In this episode of Navigating Noise , Erol Yayboke sits down with world-renowned demographer and President of the Population Reference Bureau, Dr. Jennifer Sciubba , to unpack one of the most misunderstood forces shaping our future: population change . They dive into: Why most U.S. cities are unprepared for depopulation The myths aroun...

What happens when generative AI floods the internet with content—but journalists are the only ones who can still read between the lines? In this episode of Navigating Noise , Jonathan Teubner sits down with Dmitry Shishkin , CEO of Ringier Media International and one of Europe’s most influential media transformation leaders, to explore how newsrooms are adapting to AI—and why most people are getti...

What happens when the tech industry is no longer built for global scale—but for geopolitical advantage? In this episode of Navigating Noise , Jonathan Teubner sits down with Ansgar Baums, geoeconomics expert, senior advisor at Sinalytics, and author of The Tech Cold War, to unpack the massive, underreported shifts happening at the intersection of technology, national security, and global power. Fr...

Generative AI isn’t just changing technology—it’s rewriting the rules of information warfare, influence, and decision-making. In this episode of Navigating Noise, Jonathan Teubner sits down with Maggie Feldman-Piltch, founder of Non-State Actress, to break down: 🔥 How generative AI is repeating the mistakes of radio propaganda in the 1930s—at lightning speed. 🔥 Why women’s social networks are a...

Jonathan Teubner talks with Azeem Azhar, author of "The Exponential Age," about how to navigate the rapidly advancing world of AI, particularly large language models. They explore frameworks for understanding this technology, building trust in AI systems, and the changing relationship between technology, media, and society. TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Introduction & Azeem's Background in Technology 3:11...

Join us for an insightful conversation with Erol Yayboke, who recently joined Filter Labs as the Chief Research Officer, after holding roles at CSIS, USAID, and the Department of Defense. From his early experiences responding to earthquakes in Turkey to collaborating on Russian propaganda analysis, Erol discusses how to understand complex global challenges through both data and local perspectives....

In this conversation on Navigating Noise, Adrian Pabst explored a fundamental tension in contemporary politics: the disconnect between high-level policymaking and local realities. Drawing from his experience at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, Pabst argued that we need to move beyond the false choice between pure idealism and fatalistic realism. Instead, he suggested we focu...

In this conversation on Navigating Noise, Peter Pomerantsev and I explored the shifting landscape of international relations and what it means for America's place in the world. What struck me most was how our discussion lead to a fundamental question: How do nations define friendship in an increasingly transactional world? Watch the full episode to hear how we explore this topic.

The historical evolution of American intelligence offers a lens through which to understand today’s complex national security challenges. As the information landscape becomes increasingly vast and nuanced, tracing the trajectory of intelligence—from its origins to its current form—provides insights into the interplay between secrecy, trust, and the public-private partnerships that define its pract...

The world is messy. Wars rage, governments falter, and institutions scramble to find clarity in a sea of uncertainty. Jake Shapiro is skilled at making sense of theses modern conflicts. An author and Princeton professor, he deeply understands how institutional frameworks and data applications can shape global dynamics. Watch the episode to learn more about: - The Value of Local Knowledge Meeting D...

In a recent episode of Navigating Noise, I had the privilege of speaking with Ellen McCarthy, CEO of the Trust in Media Cooperative and former Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research. Her diverse career journey—from journalist to intelligence officer—provides a unique perspective on trust, information, and the evolving dynamics of media and intelligence. Here are the key insight...

What happens when national security becomes a question of data—and who wields it best? In this episode of Navigating Noise, I sat down with Martijn Rasser, Chief Strategy Officer at Datenna and a former CIA intelligence officer, to explore how emerging technologies and open-source intelligence (OSINT) are reshaping global power dynamics. Martijn draws on his deep experience in the intelligence com...

Why are Russia and China closer than ever—and what could eventually pull them apart? In this episode of Navigating Noise, I sat down with Sasha Gabuev, Director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, to unpack one of the most consequential relationships in global geopolitics. Gabuev, a leading expert on China-Russian relations, has spent decades analyzing the strategic, economic, and cultural forc...

When it comes to U.S.-China relations, understanding people and attitudes on the ground can be just as critical as assessing economic and military metrics. In a world where competition often drives policy, there’s a call for a more nuanced approach—one that factors in cultural insights and public sentiment. In this episode, Ali Wyne, Senior Research and Advocacy Advisor for U.S.-China at the Inter...

In the world of modern warfare, actions are only half the battle. Perception and information are the rest. With adversaries like Russia using advanced disinformation, NATO needs to counter these tactics without losing credibility or cohesion. For NATO, protecting allies means not only deploying troops but shaping how people understand and see those moves. On this episode of Navigating Noise, I spo...

The future of technology is human. It’s about the leadership that shapes how we experience digital spaces. Bill Powers’ insights on this episode of Navigating Noise show us that successful tech companies focus on more than just the bottom line—they focus on the human element. As tech thinker, former journalist, and entrepreneur Bill Powers reminds us, this isn’t the first time humanity has faced s...

Artificial intelligence is a powerful tool, but it’s not the magic solution many make it out to be, according to theoretical neuroscientist and entrepreneur Dr. Vivienne Ming. She tells us that AI enhances human capabilities rather than replacing them—and the true power of AI lies in how it can transform the economics of existing solutions. In this episode of Navigating Noise, Dr. Ming draws on he...

Russia’s economy may seem resilient on the surface, but according to Sergei Guriev, Dean of the London Business School, it’s held together by a fragile system of propaganda, half-truths, and strategic maneuvering. Cracks are forming in Russia’s economic armor—cracks that could expose the country’s vulnerabilities. The question is: how long can Putin’s regime keep these hidden from view? On the fir...