Laser beams at short distances don't fall off inverse square and may even increase in intensity (decrease in spot size) with distance.
But in the end, beam dispersion/the diffraction limit wins and the power density is inverse square.
(I can focus a big light down to a smaller spot; but ultimately the light is going to be spreading out. This can be true for radio, too, with weird things happening close).
Laser beams at short distances don't fall off inverse square and may even increase in intensity (decrease in spot size) with distance.
But in the end, beam dispersion/the diffraction limit wins and the power density is inverse square.
(I can focus a big light down to a smaller spot; but ultimately the light is going to be spreading out. This can be true for radio, too, with weird things happening close).