Central Asia Confronts Growing Threat of AI-Enabled Extremism

Central Asian leaders gathered in Astana on November 6 for discussions on ways to contain the dark side of the Internet and artificial intelligence. The talks, taking place under a format known as the Aqaba Process, focused on how militant groups can use AI to enable terrorism. Deep fakes, for example, have been used to spread propaganda and disinformation while also helping recruitment efforts. Militants can also use AI to hinder government investigations into suspected terrorist incidents and activities. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said that Tashkent was ready to host a Central Asian branch of the United Nations’ Office of Counter-Terrorism to enhance regional cooperation on “reporting terrorist content, detecting terrorist financing [and] training specialists.” He emphasized that AI could help officials more efficiently detect and disrupt militant groups’ activities.Mirziyoyev also touted the use of AI to widen access to education for regional citizens and expand economic opportunities in ways that make individuals less susceptible to militant messages.“Quality education and the creation of conditions for people to realize their full potential are considered an important foundation of security,” a readout of the meeting issued by Mirziyoyev’s office noted. “The common goal should be to turn new technologies not into a source of threats but into a powerful tool for ensuring peace, security, and human development.”The Uzbek leader also proposed launching a program called Enlightenment Against Ignorance in the Digital Age, operated under the auspices of Tashkent’s Center for Islamic Civilization.Security threats posed by militant groups based in Afghanistan remain a concern for Central Asian leaders. Tajikistan has seen multiple cross-border armed incidents over the past year. At the same time, the Taliban’s hold on northern areas of Afghanistan bordering Central Asian states is not firm, as watchdog groups have recorded an uptick in armed clashes involving Taliban forces and renegade groups in 2026.Militant groups that operate beyond Taliban control, including ISIS-K, are known to target Central Asians for recruitment. In testimony before the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee's Subcommittee on South and Central Asia in June 2025, Brianne Todd, a Central Asian security expert at National Defense University, said ISIS-K is “increasingly utilizing dispersed networks of Central Asian operatives to project force internationally.”“The appeal of ISIS-K to Central Asians lies in its proximity, ideology, and messaging. … Propaganda for Central Asians is no longer mass-produced but precision-targeted,” Todd added. “The internet has been the key enabler of this shift. ISIS-K’s digital operations have grown more sophisticated as the organization has increasingly used encrypted platforms, coded language, and AI-generated content to evade detection and manipulate audiences.”The Aqaba Process was launched by Jordan in 2015 “with the aim of enhancing coordination, cooperation, and exchange of expertise” concerning topical security issues. In addition to Mirziyoyev, meeting host Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and Jordan’s King Abdullah, the Astana session was attended by the presidents of Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, along with high-level representatives from Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan.By EurasianetMore Top Reads From Oilprice.comChina Cuts LNG Imports as Cheap Domestic Gas Undercuts Global PricesOil Prices Fall as Trump Signals No New Attacks on IranOil Traders Want U.S. to Release Sanctioned Tankers as Freight Costs Soar