Dr Simon Copeland

Dr Simon Copeland, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) who co-authored the report, says the “nuanced” interaction between mental health issues and terrorist motivations was making it more difficult for security services to define attacks. “We’ve seen [from] recent attacks that it has been very difficult, and how long it’s taken for the security services and police to make that decision,” he adds.

A British reinsurance company against terrorism risk has warned violent extremists are “actively experimenting” with artificial intelligence (AI) to carry out attacks, spread propaganda and radicalise victims. “AI is likely to offer significant benefits for [terrorists and violent extremists] in support of their operations and activities, including the planning, facilitation, and execution of violent attacks,” said a new report published by Pool Re. The report, written by Dr Simon Copeland, a terrorist research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, explored the potential current and future risks from the misuse of AI by “nefarious actors”.

"...the report’s authors suggest a strengthening of “values based education”. Not only does it suggest focusing training on “emphasising the importance of diversity, inclusion and values such as respect, equality and tolerance”, it implores senior ranks to “actively participate in the training to set a positive example and promote a culture of inclusivity throughout the service”.