Tool and target: US law enforcement grapple with AI-enabled terrorism and anti-tech extremism
US law enforcement, including the FBI, is tracking two converging threats: people using generative AI tools to help plan terrorist attacks, and a separate strain of extremism targeting AI technology itself. A May 2025 car bombing outside a California fertility clinic reportedly involved the suspect using an AI chatbot during planning.
Why this matters: AI tools were supposed to be hard to misuse for serious harm. Guardrails, content filters, terms of service. This case suggests those barriers are not holding as well as companies have claimed. Law enforcement is now dealing with AI as both a planning tool for attackers and a target for a different kind of extremist. That is a genuinely difficult position. It also puts real pressure on AI companies to explain what their safety measures actually stop, and to be honest when they do not work.
Who should care: Lawyers · Privacy officers · Compliance · General readers · AI governance · Policy
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