U.S. Rep. August Pfluger’s Generative AI Terrorism Risk Assessment Act passed the U.S. House unanimously by voice vote. The bill was read by the Senate twice on Thursday and has been sent to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs for further action.
The Texas Republican’s legislation, H.R.1736, would address threats posed by terrorist groups—such as ISIS and al Qaeda—that are using artificial intelligence (GenAI) to create digital content such as text, images, and video to enable and encourage terrorist attacks against the U.S.
“I have witnessed the terror landscape evolve into a digital battlefield shaped by the rapid rise of artificial intelligence,” Pfluger said.
As chairman of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, Pfluger explained that the Generative AI Terrorism Risk Assessment Act would confront the emerging threat of terrorist groups weaponizing AI “to recruit, train, and inspire attacks on U.S. soil.”
The New York Post reported that the legislation “comes in response to ISIS and other terrorist groups using bleeding-edge generative AI technology to bolster their propaganda and sourcing of supplies to carry out brutal attacks,” causing growing concern among lawmakers that terrorist groups will use GenAI to “help develop chemical, nuclear, and other advanced weapons.”
Specifically, the bill would require “the Secretary of Homeland Security to conduct annual assessments on terrorism threats to the United States” by extremist groups using advanced AI applications.
In March, Pfluger chaired a hearing called “The Digital Battlefield: How Terrorists Use Online Networks for Recruitment and Radicalization,” at which he discussed the urgency of confronting the dangers of nefarious AI use to promote terroristic ideology among youth.
“There is no doubt that ISIS actively looks to inspire younger individuals and frequently produces media tailored at juveniles because they think they are more susceptible to terrorist ideologies and more accessible due to their online presence on a range of platforms,” Pfluger stated.
He added that while the nation faces many threats, he hoped that legislative solutions could be found to protect the First Amendment while stopping violence.
