Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence Chairman August Pfluger requested on March 21 that the Government Accountability Office conduct a comprehensive review of how violent extremists and malicious actors are using emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, for harmful purposes.
The request highlights growing concerns in Congress about the ways adversaries exploit advanced AI tools to generate propaganda, spread misinformation, and accelerate online radicalization. Lawmakers say these developments could pose significant national security risks as technology evolves.
In his letter to the GAO, Pfluger wrote, “As artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly becomes a part of the everyday lives of Americans, so too do malicious actors seek to exploit emerging AI technologies and applications to pursue harmful, even deadly, agendas… Violent extremists and other illicit actors—including but not limited to insiders who pose threats and malicious cyber actors—will inevitably seek inventive ways to exploit these emerging technologies to support a wide range of terrorist tactics and other criminal activities.”
Pfluger also stated, “The use of GenAI and AAI by violent extremists and other illicit actors poses a broad and evolving national security threat. The speed, scale, and adaptability these technologies enable will challenge the federal government’s ability to detect, respond to, and deter terrorist activities; however, the nature and scope of the challenges associated with countering these AI-enabled threats are not well understood.”
In November 2025, the House passed Pfluger’s Generative AI Terrorism Risk Assessment Act. This law requires the Department of Homeland Security to conduct annual assessments on terrorism threats posed by organizations using generative AI applications for terroristic activity. Earlier in March 2025, Pfluger held a hearing examining how foreign terrorist organizations use technology to inspire attacks within the United States. Discussions included balancing First Amendment protections with efforts to prevent potential attacks.
Last year, Newsweek featured Pfluger in an article highlighting increased terror threats from groups such as ISIS as they adopt new technologies like AI for recruitment and fundraising.
