“AI-Assisted Terrorism Prevention Also Poses Human Rights Risks” ... Korean National Police University Study Published in International Journal

[Financial News] A study has found that, as efforts to prevent terrorism using artificial intelligence (AI) expand, indiscriminate information gathering and algorithmic bias could undermine not only human rights but also the effectiveness of counterterrorism policies. It also recommends clearly defining the scope of AI technology use and establishing an independent oversight system.
The KNPU's Institute for Public Safety Policy Research said on the 15th that Inspector Jo Jeong-hye's paper analyzing the effectiveness of AI-based preventive counterterrorism strategies and the potential for human rights violations had been published in the Scopus-indexed international journal Security and Human Rights.
The paper is titled “Preventive Counterterrorism in the Age of AI: Strategic Effectiveness and the Risk of Human Rights Violations.” It examined how countries are turning to AI for proactive responses as terrorist threats shift, particularly in online spaces, and analyzed the effects of this approach on national security and human rights protection.
The study identified three broad human rights risks associated with AI-based counterterrorism activities: invasions of privacy resulting from large-scale information gathering and surveillance; discriminatory targeting of certain groups due to algorithmic bias; and erosion of due process due to a lack of transparency in AI decision-making.
Inspector Jo used the principles of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) as an analytical framework and examined the European Union's (EU) AI Act and relevant standards of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
The study noted that widespread surveillance and unclear decision-making criteria could erode public trust. It also explained that limited law-enforcement personnel could be deployed inefficiently if algorithms make inaccurate predictions or mistake normal activities for warning signs.
It also pointed out that excessively restricting the rights of specific groups could deepen social alienation and backlash and, in the long term, increase the risk of radicalization.
Accordingly, the study stressed that human rights protection should not be viewed merely as a constraint that impedes the effectiveness of counterterrorism activities, but as a key condition that determines the effectiveness and sustainability of policy.
The study also proposed measures to strengthen the legal and institutional foundations of AI-based counterterrorism activities. Specifically, it said clear legal grounds should be established and the scope of information gathering and analysis limited to the minimum necessary.
It also recommended continuously assessing the necessity and proportionality of restrictions on fundamental rights, while ensuring algorithmic transparency and the explainability of decision-making processes. Measures to strengthen accountability and establish an independent oversight system were also included.
The study did not reject the potential of preventive counterterrorism activities themselves, such as using AI to analyze online extremist content and identify signs of radicalization. It emphasized, however, that legal legitimacy, public trust and democratic oversight must be in place for technological efficiency and human rights protection to work together.
Security and Human Rights, the journal in which the paper was published, is an international academic journal founded in 1990 with support from the Netherlands Helsinki Committee. It covers topics related to the activities and principles of the OSCE and discussion on protecting and promoting human rights amid security threats.
Inspector Jo previously placed first in the research and development category of the 42nd Public Human Resources Development Contest (Public HRD Contest), organized by the National Human Resources Development Institute for Public Officials in 2024.
Meanwhile, the Institute for Public Safety Policy Research, affiliated with the KNPU, opened in 1980 and was expanded and reorganized in 2015. It currently consists of the Planning and Operations Division, the Public Safety Research Division, the Forensic Science Research Division, and eight research laboratories and centers.


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