AI helps terror groups target women, children with propaganda, UN report warns

Terrorist and violent extremist groups are increasingly using artificial intelligence (AI) to produce, personalise and distribute propaganda, with children and young people becoming a growing target, according to a new United Nations report.

The UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), in a report released on Friday, “Beyond Messaging: Terrorist Propaganda as Operational Infrastructure,” said terrorist propaganda is no longer limited to spreading ideology. It is increasingly being used as an operational tool for radicalisation, recruitment and other activities.

The report warns that the rapid adoption of new technologies by terrorist groups is creating an “acceleration gap” between their ability to use these tools and the ability of governments and technology platforms to respond.


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AI is making propaganda more targeted

Generative AI is allowing terrorist groups to create and localise propaganda at a much faster pace, the report said.

The technology can be used to produce content tailored to different audiences, including men, women, girls and boys. This allows terrorist actors to adapt narratives to specific groups and distribute them at greater scale and speed.

The report said the gendered dimensions of terrorist propaganda and recruitment targeting children and young people require particular attention.

Girls and young women can be targeted through narratives around belonging, protection, identity and relationships, while boys and young men may be exposed to hyper-masculine messaging that presents violence as a source of status, purpose and power.

Children increasingly in the crosshairs

Children and young people are increasingly being exposed to and targeted by terrorist and violent extremist propaganda and recruitment efforts, the report said.

The convergence of digital environments, algorithmic amplification, targeted outreach strategies and the social and developmental vulnerabilities of younger users has created conditions in which extremist content can reach children and young people at scale.

The report also points to developments in the European Union, where the number of children and young people involved in terrorist and violent extremist activities has continued to grow.

Gaming, social media become entry points

Terrorist actors are using social media, gaming platforms and online communities frequented by young people to disseminate propaganda, according to the report.

These platforms can serve as an entry point, with users gradually guided from mainstream spaces into more closed and immersive online environments.

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The exposure can then become increasingly violent, including through graphic imagery, potentially facilitating socialisation into violent extremist ecosystems, CTED said.

From propaganda to operational infrastructure

The report argues that terrorist propaganda should increasingly be viewed as part of a wider operational infrastructure rather than simply as messaging.

The use of AI can make propaganda cheaper and faster to produce while allowing terrorist groups to tailor content to specific audiences.

CTED also highlighted efforts by extremists to circumvent safety measures on commercial AI models. In some cases, techniques involving modified prompts have reportedly been used to obtain technical information related to attack planning and the manufacture of explosive devices.

The report also warns that conversational AI tools could be used to create more personalised and isolated environments for radicalisation, allowing individuals to be exposed to reinforcing narratives away from public scrutiny.

UN warns against overreach

At the same time, CTED cautioned governments and technology companies against responding with blanket digital bans, mass surveillance or rushed regulations.

Such measures could undermine rights including privacy and freedom of expression, the report said, while potentially contributing to the grievances that terrorist and extremist groups seek to exploit.

The challenge for governments and technology platforms is therefore not only to remove extremist content, but also to keep pace with how quickly terrorist actors are adapting AI and other digital technologies to reach and radicalise new audiences.