Cognitive Security in AI-Mediated Environments: Toward a Human-Centered Paradigm of Information Security

In contemporary digital ecosystems, artificial intelligence (AI) and social media technologies increasingly structure how individuals access, process, and prioritize information. While AI-driven personalization enhances efficiency and engagement, it also reshapes cognitive environments in ways that introduce subtle yet consequential vulnerabilities. Existing information security frameworks remain predominantly system-centered, emphasizing data protection, infrastructure integrity, and network defense. However, these approaches insufficiently address risks targeting human cognition itself. This study introduces cognitive security as a foundational dimension of information security, defined as the protection of attention, reasoning, memory, and decision-making autonomy from manipulation, overload, bias reinforcement, and covert algorithmic influence. Drawing on interdisciplinary scholarship from artificial intelligence, cognitive science, digital governance, and human security studies, the paper develops a conceptual synthesis linking AI mechanisms to cognitive vulnerabilities and broader human security implications. The analysis demonstrates how AI-driven personalization and algorithmic curation foster cognitive offloading, attention fragmentation, metacognitive distortion, and increased susceptibility to misinformation and privacy asymmetries. To address these risks, the paper proposes a multi-layered human-centered information security framework integrating technical safeguards, regulatory oversight, ethical design principles, and educational interventions. By foregrounding cognitive integrity as a strategic asset, this study advances a reframing of information security that situates the protection of human capital at the core of digital governance.