Religious Rehabilitation Group to Study How AI, Digital Platforms Affect Radicalisation

Why It Matters

The shift highlights a new front in countering violent extremism: AI multiplies the reach and tailoring of radical content, forcing rehabilitation and security actors to rapidly adopt detection, education and policy measures to prevent faster online-to-offline radicalisation. Rapid adaptation is critical to protect youths and maintain effective prevention and response efforts.

Summary

A religious rehabilitation group is building AI and digital-platform capabilities to study how online behaviour and generative AI influence youth radicalisation, linking online activity to offline vulnerabilities. Officials warn generative AI increases access, volume and personalization of extremist content and enables realistic deepfakes, prompting concerns about faster and more targeted radicalisation. To respond, the group is training community partners, running workshops to familiarise members with AI tools, and launching a WhatsApp channel with bite-sized counter-messaging—over 1,200 users joined since mid-May. Experts say AI can also aid detection and counter-narratives but emphasise safeguards to prevent AI from making initial contact with vulnerable individuals.

Original Description

The Religious Rehabilitation Group is building capabilities to understand how AI and digital platforms affect youths. The group is a key partner in countering terrorism and violent extremism in Singapore. It is looking at links between online behaviour and offline vulnerabilities. This comes as online activity is increasingly affecting real-world behaviour, with digital platforms making extremist content more personalised and easily accessible. The RRG also recently launched a new WhatsApp channel to strengthen digital youth outreach. More than 1,200 people have joined since the channel went live in mid-May. Nikhil Khattar reports.