Publication
Terrorist Exploitation of Artificial Intelligence
In this research note, Joana Cook, Graig Klein and Bàrbara Molas explore how terrorists and violent extremists may exploit artificial intelligence to enhance existing capabilities, and propose a framework for understanding the resulting threats.
- Author
- Joana Cook, Graig Klein, Barbara Molas
- Date
- 01 September 2026
- Links
- View the article
The research draws on a multidisciplinary workshop hosted by Leiden University’s Institute of Security and Global Affairs (ISGA) and the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT) in The Hague on 7–8 November 2024. Bringing together 26 experts from eleven countries, the workshop used a ‘blue-sky’ approach to explore plausible scenarios of terrorist exploitation of AI, aiming to anticipate rather than predict emerging threats.
The findings suggest that AI is more likely to amplify existing terrorist capabilities than fundamentally transform terrorism in the short to medium term. By reducing the time, expertise and resources required, AI can support intelligence analysis, operational planning, cyber activities, multilingual and personalised propaganda, recruitment and audience engagement. However, operational success depends on actors’ resources, technical expertise and strategic objectives, while states, organised crime and decentralised AI communities may influence access to advanced capabilities.
The research note proposes a Force Multiplier Framework comprising four interconnected dimensions: cognitive, operational, communicative and organisational. This framework helps researchers, practitioners and policymakers assess how AI enhances information processing, operational capabilities, communication and organisational learning. Rather than viewing AI as an independent threat or a substitute for human decision-making, the authors emphasise its role in enabling existing activities. They call for continued multidisciplinary collaboration and horizon-scanning to support proportionate threat assessments and proactive counter-terrorism responses.