Islamic State uses AI to create propaganda video after concert hall attack
Islamic State supporters used AI to generate a video celebrating a March attack on a Russian concert hall, raising concerns about the group's ability to mass-produce propaganda and recruit supporters. Digital experts warn that extremist groups are increasingly leveraging AI technology while major AI firms have given little attention to preventing such uses.
What happened
Days after a deadly Islamic State attack on a Russian concert hall in March in which more than 140 people were killed, an AI-generated video appeared online featuring a man in military fatigues celebrating the assault in Arabic. The video was not independently verified by Thomson Reuters Foundation but was identified as AI-generated by SITE Intelligence Group and other online researchers.
According to Federico Borgonovo, a researcher at the Royal United Services Institute, an Islamic State supporter created the video by combining statements, bulletins, and data from Islamic State's official news outlet using AI technology. The video was described as having high production quality, suggesting IS supporters can use AI to increase output of propaganda content online.
Reported impact
The use of AI to create propaganda raises concerns over Islamic State recruitment and amplification of extremist influence, according to experts. A January study by the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point identified potential uses of AI by groups like IS, including generating and distributing propaganda, recruiting via AI-powered chatbots, and carrying out attacks using autonomous vehicles or cyber-attacks.
Index analysis
Digital experts report that groups like Islamic State and far-right movements are increasingly using AI and testing the limits of safety controls on social media platforms. Stephane Baele, professor of international relations at UCLouvain in Belgium, noted that major AI firms have paid scant attention to extremist and terrorist uses of their tools despite mapping risks in their published reports.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.