A newly proposed law wants to find out exactly how terrorist groups are using artificial intelligence to spread propaganda and plan attacks. Introduced by U.S. Senator Rick Scott, the Generative AI Terrorism Risk Assessment Act requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to run annual threat assessments on the AI capabilities of designated terrorist organizations.
The push for this legislation stems from a sobering discovery. Last year, the House Committee on Homeland Security found that groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda are already holding workshops to train their members on artificial intelligence. They are reportedly using generative AI to produce highly convincing propaganda videos, fabricate events, and manipulate potential recruits.
And the findings wouldn’t be kept a secret. If the bill passes, the DHS will have to make its annual threat assessments public. The agency would also be required to brief the appropriate congressional committees within 30 days of submitting each report.
Senator Cynthia Lummis signed on as an original co-sponsor for the Senate bill, while Representative August Pfluger introduced a companion version in the House.
The lawmakers behind the push agree that while AI is driving major economic growth, the security risks are simply too big to ignore.
“AI is opening up our economy and our daily lives to new worlds of possibility, but it’s naïve to think only well-intentioned Americans are using it,” Senator Scott said. He added that the U.S. already has the resources and manpower to counter these threats, and it’s time to put them to use to keep Americans safe.
Senator Lummis echoed that, emphasizing the need to balance national security with technological progress. She pointed out that America should be leading the AI charge, not running from it.
“That also means being clear-eyed about how terrorist groups are already weaponizing this technology to radicalize and plot against Americans,” Lummis said. The goal is to stay ahead of the threat without limiting the innovation that keeps the country at the forefront of advancement.
Rep. Pfluger, a former fighter pilot who flew combat missions in the Middle East, noted how quickly the global threat landscape is changing.
“Terrorist organizations are now turning to artificial intelligence to recruit, train, and incite attacks on U.S. soil,” Pfluger said. He believes law enforcement and the intelligence community desperately need a comprehensive understanding of how bad actors are using AI, and he says this legislation guarantees they will have it.
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