Federal police warn of 'tsunami' of youth crime as AI speeds up radicalisation
Australia faces a "tsunami" of youth crime as artificial intelligence speeds up radicalisation, the acting deputy commissioner of the Australian Federal Police (AFP), Sandra Booth, told a parliamentary inquiry on Wednesday, according to The Guardian.
Ms Booth told the hearing that radicalisation which once took years or months could now happen within days. The AFP is deeply concerned that AI is lowering the skills needed to manipulate and radicalise victims online, she said.
The inquiry heard that since 2020, 65 children, some as young as 12, have been subject to federal police operations. Thirty-five of those 65 children had been charged with state or Commonwealth (federal) terrorism-related offences.
Ms Booth also described a case involving a 13-year-old boy. He allegedly possessed violent extremist material and used Discord, an online chat and gaming platform. Police allegedly found a notebook containing plans for a school shooting during a raid on his home.
Claire McGuinness, deputy director-general for intelligence service delivery at the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), Australia's domestic spy agency, told the inquiry that ASIO was encountering more children, including 12-year-olds.
Brendan Dowling, the Home Affairs counter-terrorism coordinator, said Australia was probably identifying people too late, after they had already come to the attention of law enforcement.
The hearing was held by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS), a group of MPs and senators that scrutinises the country's intelligence agencies. Its inquiry into radicalisation is due to hand down a final report in March 2027.
