Acting deputy commissioner Sandra Booth told the hearing on Wednesday that while radicalisation had traditionally taken years or months, the process could now happen within days. 'This can be attributed to artificial intelligence, a growing grievance generation, young people searching for purpose and belonging, and the sophistication of these online networks,' she said.
The AFP is deeply concerned that AI is lowering the skills required to manipulate and radicalise victims online, and then cause serious harm. Booth warned that without serious intervention, Australia's mental health, education and judicial systems could be overwhelmed by people committing serious criminal offences, with potential consequences for democracy and institutions.
In one example, an investigation found a 13‑year‑old boy allegedly possessed violent extremist material. He was using the social media platform Discord, and during a raid at his home police allege they found a notebook containing plans for a school shooting. 'This was not in the US,' Booth told the hearing. 'This was in Australia.'
The Asio deputy director general for intelligence service delivery, Claire McGuinness, said the spy agency was encountering more children, including 12‑year‑olds. 'This is in stark contrast to where we were, say, 20 years ago, where we would have seen a caseload predominantly of individuals within their early 20s,' she said.
The inquiry heard that since 2020, 65 children, including as young as 12, had been subject to federal police operations. Thirty‑five of those had been charged with state or commonwealth terrorism‑related offences.
The home affairs department counter‑terrorism coordinator, Brendan Dowling, said the nation was probably identifying people too late after they had already come to the attention of law enforcement. 'We've long faced an enduring threat from terrorism and violent extremism in Australia but the nature of that threat is changing. It is both more urgent and more challenging than ever before,' he said.
The intelligence and security committee chair, Senator Raff Ciccone, said the parliament was trying to understand why people were being radicalised in a matter of days and weeks, and extended an invitation to people personally affected by radicalisation to come forward. A final report from the parliamentary joint committee on intelligence and security will be handed down in March next year.