Terrorists’ Use of New Technology

“In terrorism-driven warfare, adversaries are in permanent pursuit of initiative through constant vigilance, prediction, adaptation and proactivity,” writes the author of a new article published by the Global Network on Extremism and Technology (GNET) on terrorists’ use of technology. He points out that terrorists prefer total discretion and secrecy before attacks while seeking maximum visibility on the horrors they commit “through a combination of spectacular execution and increasingly sophisticated media coverage” (the latter of which, by the way, is something Al Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula [AQAP] encouraged its followers to do in the latest version of its Inspire magazine). The author discusses technologies that increase terrorists’ elusiveness and magnify the results of their actions, such as drones, 3D-printing, and cryptocurrencies. He also notes that another set of technologies, such as biometric and artificial intelligence, may make it possible to predict their intentions and actions and neutralize them. Read more at GNET.