The Deep View: Conversations #32 - How perception itself became an attack surface - Wasim Khaled
Feb 22, 2026
Wasim Khaled, CEO of Blackbird AI and entrepreneur fighting disinformation, explains how perception itself can be weaponized. He outlines what narrative attacks look like and the tactics behind coordinated manipulation. He describes product approaches for detecting synthetic media, measuring narrative risk, and using AI agents and context graphs to defend networks and leaders.
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Perception As An Attack Surface
- Perception has become an attack surface where coordinated narratives manipulate belief and behavior to create real-world harm.
- Wasim Khaled traced this to networks and tradecraft, not code breaches, predicting AI would scale these narrative attacks.
What Defines A Narrative Attack
- Narrative attacks are coordinated attempts to shape belief and behavior at scale and differ from organic trends.
- The key indicators are synthetic amplification and targeted actor networks driving outcomes like financial loss or reputational harm.
Look For Network Fingerprints Not Just Truth
- Don’t focus solely on truth; monitor contagion patterns and networks to detect manipulation.
- Wasim advises using network fingerprints and actor behavior rather than simple true/false checks to reveal intent and tradecraft.