Australian Police Plan AI Monitoring for Threats Against Parliamentarians

Australian Federal Police plans to use AI capabilities developed for counterterrorism investigations to detect online threats against parliamentarians, according to Politico. Commissioner Krissy Barrett said the technology will help officers process the growing volume of online communications and act quickly.

Reports of harassment and threats against senior public officials increased from 951 to 1,067 during the past year. National security investigators are charging almost one person each week over conduct targeting federal parliamentarians or senior officeholders.

The tools will be used through the Counter Terrorism Online Centre, a joint operation between the police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation that will begin work within weeks. Its capabilities include AI analysis and searches of public social media profiles for potential threats.

Barrett discussed the plans after police charged a 43 year old man accused of attacking independent MP Helen Haines with a vehicle. She said police had no specific intelligence indicating a threat before the incident.