North Korea’s Integration of AI Across Cyber, Economic, and Military Domains

Editor’s Note: This paper is part of a research project, “Countering AI Disinformation and Implications for the US-ROK Alliance,” conducted by the Stimson Center’s Korea Program and generously sponsored by the Korea Foundation. For additional papers in this series, click here.Michael “Barni” Barnhart is a seasoned intelligence and cybersecurity professional with 20 years of experience across human intelligence (HUMINT), signals intelligence (SIGINT), and cyber threat operations. He currently serves on DTEX’s Insider Intelligence and Investigations (i³) team, focusing on nation-state insider threats. Prior to DTEX, Barni led threat hunting operations related to North Korea (DPRK) at Google Mandiant, where he conducted in-depth research on APT43, APT45, and the broader DPRK IT worker threat. His career began in the U.S. Army following 9/11, where he trained in interrogation and intelligence operations and deployed to Iraq, working alongside Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). Afterward, he conducted SIGINT operations both overseas and domestically, then transitioned to cybersecurity roles, including leading global cyber investigations for the U.S. Senate. At DTEX, Barni applies his deep understanding of adversary tradecraft to strengthen the platform’s insider risk detection capabilities, with a focus on identifying and mitigating infiltration efforts by state-sponsored actors. By Jenny Town, Senior Fellow and Director, 38 North Program