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Artificial Intelligence and Extremism: The Threat of Language Models for Propaganda Purposes
Recent large-scale projects in the field of Artificial Intelligence have dramatically improved the quality of language models, unfolding a wide range of practical applications. Language models are statistical models that calculate probability distributions over sequences of words. Language models can make many beneficial contributions, but they may also be misused by extremist actors for propaganda purposes.
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“Terror Granny” Charged with Plotting German Civil War to Bring Back the Kaiser
A 75-year old retired theology professor was arrested and charged with organizing a nationalist, far-right terrorist group aiming to bring back the Kaiser. The group aimed to attack power stations and transmitters in order to plunge large parts of Germany into black out in the hope of promoting civic unrest.
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What Is a Terrorist Movement?
The analysis of terrorism is plagued with definitional disagreements, and most of the definition in use suffer from gaps, ambiguities, and inconsistencies. Daniel Byman writes that terms such as “groups” or organizations” no longer applies to many who engage in terrorist activities – but the term “lone wolf” is also misleading. He offers the term “network: “Network analysis can be another way to identify the contours of a dangerous movement.” Because so many of today’s terrorism challenges “are better characterized as movements or networks rather than as groups or organizations, it is valuable to explore how such amorphous concepts might be operationalized.”
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Self-Identified “Incel” Plotted Mass Shooting of Women at OSU
A 22-year old Ohio man admitted he plotted a mass shooting of women at a university in Ohio. The man identified as an “incel” or “involuntary celibate.” The incel movement is an online community of predominantly men who harbor anger towards women.
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U.S. Strikes IS Leadership Twice in 24 Hours
A weakened and wary Islamic State terror group suffered a new round of setbacks when U.S. forces targeted three key leaders in two operations across northern Syria in a single day.
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Violent Extremists, terrorists Targeting U.S. Critical Infrastructure
Violent extremists and terrorist organizations of numerous ideological persuasions have conducted devastating attacks on critical infrastructure in the United States. Today’s terrorism threat picture in the U.S. is incredibly fluid, dynamic, and dangerous, and under this backdrop authorities are increasingly worried about an uptick in terrorist plotting against critical infrastructure.
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Terrorists Use Humor in English-language Propaganda Magazines to Reinforce Identity
Humor is used in English-language jihadi terrorist magazines to reinforce identity and help groups bond, research suggests. The study says the regularity of dehumanizing humor in ISIS’s magazines reflects their overall aggressive and uncompromising stance on outsiders and opponents.
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Facial Recognition Technology and Counter-Terror Operations
The use of facial recognition technology in counterterrorism must address several formidable challenges before being adopted. This means we should proceed careful, even cautiously, before operationalizing the technology.
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India Bans Islamic Group PFI Over “Terrorism” Concerns
The Indian government called the Popular Front of India (PFI) an “unlawful association.” This month, at least 200 PFI members have been detained.
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Violent Extremist Music Prevalent on Spotify, While Platform Largely Declines to Act
Music has long been an effective way to radicalize extremists, allowing artists to both entertain and indoctrinate vulnerable listeners. Researchers have identified 40 racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist (RMVE) artists with a presence on Spotify, the world’s largest music streaming platform.
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Scapegoating of Jews for the 1969 Al-Aqsa Arson Continued as Usual in 2022
August 21 marked the 53rd anniversary of the 1969 al-Aqsa Mosque arson and the ongoing disinformation campaigns scapegoating Jews and Israel for the attack. The culprit, Denis Michael Rohan – a Protestant extremist from Australia who believed his actions would prompt the Second Coming of Jesus – but Middle Eastern outlets have been publishing inaccurate reports of the event to this day.
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Guantanamo Bay: Twenty Years of Counterterrorism and Controversy
The U.S. military detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has generated intense debate for two decades, raising enduring questions about national security, human rights, and justice.
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9/11 Survivors’ Exposure to Toxic Dust and the Chronic Health Conditions That Followed Offer Lessons That Are Still Too Often Unheeded
After the 9/11 attack, more than 100,000 responders and recovery workers from every U.S. state – along with some 400,000 residents and other workers around ground zero – were exposed to a toxic cloud of dust that fell as a ghostly, thick layer of ash and then hung in the air for more than three months. The World Trade Center dust plume consisted of a dangerous mixture of cement dust and particles, asbestos and a class of chemicals called persistent organic pollutants. The dust also contained heavy metals that are known to be poisonous to the human body and brain, such as lead and mercury, and PCB.
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The Oath Keepers Data Leak: Unmasking Extremism in Public Life
A data leak revealed the information of thousands of people whose names were in an Oath Keepers database as having paid for a membership at some point. The Oath Keepers are an anti-government extremist group associated with the militia movement.
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Two Constables, Four Police Chiefs and More Than 3,000 other Texans Were Members of the Oath Keepers: Report
A recent analysis of Oath Keepers’ membership rolls leaked last year found that Texas had more members of the far-right extremist group than any other state — and the most who worked as elected officials, law enforcement officers or members of the military.
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The long view
Southport Attacks: Why the U.K. Needs a Unified Approach to All Violent Attacks on the Public
The conviction of Axel Rudakubana for the murder of three young girls in Southport has prompted many questions about how the UK handles violence without a clear ideological motive. This case has also shown up the confusion in this area, and made clear the need for a basic reframing of how we understand murderous violence against the public today.
Mis- and Disinformation Trends and Tactics to Watch in 2025
Predicting how extremists may weaponize false narratives requires an understanding of the strategies that allow them to spread most effectively.
Evidence-Based Solutions to Protect Against Mass Attacks
Mass attacks like the New Year’s Day incident in New Orleans stir public emotion and have tragic consequences. While the investigations into this case will take time, we know from our work that there are things law enforcement and the public can do to mitigate and perhaps stop mass casualty events.