By Daniel E. Levenson, July 17, 2024
Published on VOX-Pol
Successful ideologues and leaders in extremist movements have long been aware of the power that misleading, but powerfully Manichean, pseudo-historical narratives can have on audiences. The foundation of this propagandistic material is often rooted in self-serving mythologies which justify the scapegoating of others and validation of the deeply felt grievances that potential followers have already internalized. The British Israelism and Christian Identity movements offer an excellent example of the use of this approach, and violent Islamist groups such as the so-called “Islamic State” have also engaged in a good deal of revisionist history as well. Whether in the form of pamphlets, radio broadcasts, books or magazines, the technology of the day has often played a key role in the production and dissemination of this material, and today a new generation of violent extremists seem poised to use generative AI to the same ends. In order to meet this challenge, we must recognize that AI offers potentially truly unique opportunities for propagandistic invention and alchemy.
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