Advanced Technologies Combating Terrorism in the EU: The Psychological Warfare Aspect

摘要

At present, work with big data is becoming particularly relevant in the security sphere. It helps, for example, to track terrorist propaganda on the internet and social media. Special programs are required to process large amounts of information. In this regard, the development of artificial intelligence, capable of creating analytical products in the field of security, is discussed by many researchers. The Strategic Research Agenda for Robotics in Europe 2014-2020 says the significant opportunities for robotics will be in (among others) the area of security (EU Robotics, 2014). The implementation of various technical solutions in the security field is often perceived ambiguously: law enforcement agencies may be accused of unjustified espionage. This often gives rise to a new round of public debates, in which provocateurs from terrorist groups can attack the reputation of law enforcement structures, accusing the state of repression. Along with these traditional challenges, new ones are emerging in the framework of psychological warfare. The generation of news items according to data received during the above-mentioned processes will also be increasingly generated by task automation bots. The possible use of such equipment by terrorist organisations will allow them to create, at certain moments, a quantitative predominance of terrorist propaganda. The author of the present paper used the methods of case studies, system and situation analysis. The research question was formulated as follows: how do the advanced technologies in EU counter-terrorism influence psychological warfare? We concluded that the European Union and Member States today turn to the active use of advanced technologies in combating terrorism and its propaganda. Despite undoubtedly positive effects, the practice of outsourcing in this field can meet obstacles if the interests of high tech companies contradict those of the authorities. This problem offers a perspective for further research, as does the spectrum of problems inherent in general in the counteraction of terrorism using advanced technologies.