Bob Flores Appointed to Brinker Advisory Board to Enhance AI-Driven Disinformation Defense

Former CIA Chief Technology Officer Joins Disinformation Intelligence Firm Brinker

Bob Flores, the former Chief Technology Officer of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, has joined the advisory board of Brinker, a Wilmington-based narrative intelligence company. The appointment marks a significant development for the firm, which specializes in countering disinformation and influence operations on a global scale.

Brinker’s platform represents a technological shift in the battle against misinformation, moving away from traditional manual detection methods toward real-time, AI-driven mitigation strategies. The company’s announcement signals its ambition to strengthen its position in the rapidly evolving field of information security and narrative intelligence.

Flores brings considerable expertise to his new role, having led digital modernization initiatives and cross-agency information sharing programs during his tenure as CIA’s CTO. Following his government service, he founded and currently leads Applicology Inc., a national security-focused advisory firm that works with both public and private sector clients.

“Most disinformation efforts fail because they rely on manual operations that can’t match the speed and scale of today’s influence campaigns,” Flores said. “Brinker’s AI-native approach enables responses that were previously impossible, turning real-time analysis and large-scale mitigation into a reality.”

Founded by technology entrepreneurs Benny Schnaider, Daniel Ravner, and Oded Breiner, Brinker has developed proprietary large language model technology that maps the evolution and spread of harmful narratives across languages, regions, and digital platforms. This technological foundation allows for intelligence gathering and response capabilities that significantly outpace traditional tools in the disinformation defense space.

Ravner, who serves as CEO, expressed enthusiasm about the appointment, noting that “Bob’s expertise in intelligence and technology will help Brinker accelerate its global impact.”

The addition of Flores follows Brinker’s recent appointment of Avi Kastan, former CEO and co-founder of cybersecurity firm Sixgill, to its advisory board. These strategic additions reflect the company’s efforts to build a team with deep experience in intelligence operations and cybersecurity as it expands its market reach.

Brinker’s CTO Oded Breiner highlighted the strategic value of Flores’ appointment: “Bob’s technological experience and understanding of mission-critical systems can help take Brinker’s automated OSINT technology to the next level, ensuring our platform continues to meet the operational demands of U.S. and global government partners, turning what was once a reactive process into a real-time defense capability.”

The company currently serves a diverse client base that includes government agencies, enterprises, law firms, and non-governmental organizations. Its comprehensive approach to combating influence campaigns combines AI-based analysis with various response tools, including media engagement strategies, content removal procedures, legal interventions, and the development of strategic counter-narratives.

This development comes at a time when concerns about disinformation and foreign influence operations have heightened globally. Governments and organizations face increasingly sophisticated campaigns that leverage social media platforms and other digital channels to shape public opinion and potentially influence democratic processes.

The market for disinformation defense tools has grown substantially in recent years, with numerous startups and established cybersecurity firms entering the space. Brinker’s AI-native approach represents part of a broader industry trend toward automated, scalable solutions that can operate across linguistic and cultural boundaries.

Experts in the field note that the combination of artificial intelligence capabilities with human intelligence expertise—as represented by additions like Flores to Brinker’s team—may provide the most effective strategy for addressing the complex challenges posed by modern influence operations.

As digital threats continue to evolve, Brinker’s expanded advisory capacity signals its commitment to staying at the forefront of narrative intelligence technology and building solutions capable of addressing tomorrow’s information security challenges.