When AI Becomes a Weapon: Former Senior Intelligence Executive Reveals Beijing’s CyberWar Playbook

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — What if a superpower could use Artificial Intelligence to destabilize a democracy using espionage, propaganda, and digital manipulation without firing a single conventional shot? That’s not speculation, according to Bob Gourley, Chief Technology Officer of OODA and the former CTO of the Defense Intelligence Agency, it’s happening now.

Gourley’s new techno-thriller Dragon Falls: Standing Up to Beijing’s Shadow War pulls back the curtain on modern great-power conflict exposing a world where AI agents, covert influence, extreme surveillance and financial leverage replace traditional conventional warfare.

THE PREMISE: When retired Navy Commander Jack Tanner arrives in Malaysia for a book tour, he uncovers Beijing’s Ministry of State Security orchestrating a devastating campaign combining surveillance, hacking, drone warfare, and jungle-based insurgents. Armed with his revolutionary Virtual Intelligence Center – a team of specialized open source AI agents –Tanner races to expose the plot before Malaysia falls.

WHY IT MATTERS: Unlike typical techno-thrillers, every capability in Dragon Falls already exists today. Gourley draws on his operational experience as a former U.S. Navy intelligence officer throughout Asia and Europe, plus his years leading technology strategy in government and industry. As co-founder of OODA, he continues advising decision-makers on AI, cybersecurity, and emerging threats, ensuring his thrillers are grounded in reality.

Dragon Falls reveals the playbook China is using to achieve their geo-political and technology dominance objectives and demonstrates how smaller nations and individuals can counter superpower aggression with the latest suite of disruptive technologies and courage.. Blending authentic cyber tradecraft with political intrigue and kinetic action, it will appeal to Clancy and Ludlum fans and readers tracking the Agentic AI revolution.

“Dragon Falls isn’t just a thriller, it’s an insider’s view of how cyber warfare and high-tech attacks are currently threatening our world. No one knows the details like Bob Gourley. Terrifying and utterly authentic.”
– Brad Meltzer, bestselling author of The Viper

“A rare thriller that actually understands the battlefield- and proves it on every page. The tradecraft is real, the sequences are spot on, and the stakes are exactly where they should be: on America’s need to understand Beijing’s shadow war. Read it for the pulse; keep it for the warning order.”
– Shyam Sankar, CTO, Palantir

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Bob Gourley served as Chief Technology Officer of the Defense Intelligence Agency and is a former U.S. Navy intelligence officer with operational experience throughout Asia and Europe. He co-founded OODA.com, where he guides organizations through cybersecurity, AI, and big data challenges. His expertise at the intersection of national security and emerging technology makes him a trusted advisor to innovators and decision-makers worldwide.

Dragon Falls is available at all online bookstores including Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FRN7TLZH/

Media Contact:
OODA LLC
888-OODA-911
[e-mail]
www.oodaloop.com

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SOURCE OODA LLC