Singapore Home Affairs Reports High Terror Threat Amid Rising Youth Radicalisation, AI Risks

Singapore continues to face a high terrorism threat driven by factors such as the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the spread of radical narratives, according to recent reports by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Islamic State propaganda exploits local grievances and the Gaza conflict to encourage armed violence, with six Singaporeans identified as supporters or preparing to engage in violence since late 2023. Singapore's multicultural and secular society, along with its ties to Western nations and Israel, make it an attractive target for extremists. Online self-radicalisation among youths remains a key concern, with 17 individuals aged 20 or younger detained under the Internal Security Act since 2015 for terrorism-related activities. Additionally, artificial intelligence is emerging as a tool for terrorists to generate propaganda, produce synthetic media, and conduct personalized recruitment and attack planning. In response, the government is intensifying public awareness campaigns, such as the recent SGSecure initiative using social media films to highlight the sudden nature of terror threats, and social experiments have revealed significant gaps in public vigilance and response to potential threats.