On 3-4 December 2025, the IIJ held its first Expert Group Meeting on Countering Terrorist Exploitation of AI in Southeast Asia in Jakarta, made possible with the generous support from the Government of Japan and in partnership with the National Counter-Terrorism Agency of Indonesia (BNPTRI). The meeting addressed the growing misuse of widely accessible Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems by malicious actors, including terrorist groups, across Southeast Asia. .
The meeting brought together 36 practitioners and policymakers from Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, alongside 12 international experts and representatives from leading organisations, including Europol, the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), The Siracusa International Institute, the Oxford Martin AI Governance Initiative, Duke Law School, RSIS, the University of Waterloo, and National Security Innovations Inc.
The opening session featured remarks from Mr. Dionnisius Elvan Swasono, Director for Regional and Multilateral Cooperation, National Counter-Terrorism Agency (BNPT), Mr. Takuma Satoh, First Secretary and Police Attaché (National Police Agency), Political Division, Embassy of Japan in Indonesia; and Mr. Naoufel Gaied, Academic Unit Director, IIJ.
Over two days, participants analysed emerging threats, exchanged experiences, and explored practical, rule-of-law-compliant approaches to detecting, investigating, and prosecuting AI-enabled terrorism. Key sessions covered recent developments and trends in terrorist misuse of AI; an overview of criminal justice and policy responses in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines; the development of public–private partnerships; legal and operational considerations in handling AI-generated content during investigations; and ways to strengthen interagency, international, and regional collaboration.
The insights gathered will help strengthen national, regional, and international responses to AI-enabled terrorist threats and inform an upcoming IIJ publication outlining best practices for criminal justice practitioners and key policy recommendations.