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This chapter explores the manner in which extremist groups could use artificial intelligence (AI) in the future to promote their narratives and recruit people to their causes. It looks at four broad use cases, namely generative AI, chat bots, gaming, and predictive analytics, and analyzes how extremists could adapt their propaganda and outreach efforts to incorporate new and innovative AI-powered techniques which would revolutionize their efficacy. The chapter then analyzes the current regulatory environment with regard to online content to assess the extent to which we are prepared for the AI revolution as it pertains to political messaging and the dissemination of information online. The chapter also touches on what all of this means for our civil liberties and what they might look like in a digital era that is also experiencing decentralization and a decline in Big Tech’s monopoly. It concludes with some thoughts on what we can expect to see in the coming years and suggestions for further research.

This report hopes to contribute to developing research in the ever-evolving arena of radicalisation with a particular focus on the role of the Internet. Our aim is to provide a resource for both policy makers and practitioners that offers an in-depth insight into the means by which extremists use online tools to propagandise and recruit. While previous research has focussed on specific aspects of this phenomenon, this report aims to provide a comprehensive analysis encompassing both qualitative and quantitative methods. It is also unique in that it offers a detailed and practical guide on how to turn the tide against extremists online and reclaim the Internet. Our research would not have been possible without the cooperation and assistance of colleagues, experts, mentors and focus group participants. In particular, we would like to thank our research assistants Ariana Skipp and Aimee Gentry who diligently collected data transcribed interviews and proofread drafts. We would also like to thank Jonathan Russell, Usama Hasan, Faisal Ghazi, Verity Harding, Florian Maganza and Benoit Tabaka for their support, assistance and guidance.

VOX-Pol Blog post.

VOX-Pol Blog post.

VOX-Pol Guest Lecture Series, Autumn 2023

Name: Jade Hutchinson

Title: The Far-Right Online Ecosystem Outline: This presentation provides a conceptual and empirical overview of how networks of online platforms and devices shape Far-Right extremism and terrorism. Drawing on current PhD research into how online extremist ecosystems operate, issues of ecosystem conceptualisation, data collection, and the challenges associated with online ecosystem research are discussed.

Far-right and involuntary celibate extremists are said to populate an “online extremist ecosystem” of digital media environments. Online violent extremists are said to use this “ecosystem” to access outcomes that were previously unattainable. Yet there remained fundamental knowledge gaps in understanding the advantageous and limits of using ecosystems to understand and address far-right and involuntary celibate online violent extremism. This foundational theoretical and empirical study critically assessed whether ecosystems offered a greater or lesser understanding of these communities in the Australian and Canadian context and examined how individual involvement in these communities is shaped by digital media software and hardware.