Interpol said Friday it carried out a first-of-its-kind operation using artificial intelligence-aided facial recognition to identify more than 100 suspected terrorists.
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A team of two dozen experts from 11 countries came together to analyze over 108,000 facial images from content published by jihadist groups, Interpol said in a statement.
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Programmed AI agents and advanced AI-generated scripts eliminated duplicate photos, narrowing the dataset to 6,362 high-quality images that were then run through Interpol’s facial recognition software.
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This effort, dubbed Operation Shams II, allowed Interpol agents to identify 126 alleged terrorists.
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“These matches will enrich existing intelligence on suspects, including potential locations and social networks,” Interpol said.
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“Investigative leads identified during the operation are already being used to support judicial procedures in participating countries, including one case targeting two currently detained suspected Foreign Terrorist Fighters,” it added.
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María Carmen Muñoz González, Interpol’s counter-terrorism director, said these results demonstrate “the value of combining international law enforcement cooperation with responsible AI-assisted analytical capabilities.”
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The countries that participated in the operation include Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Iraq, Kenya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Philippines, Qatar, Tajikistan, Tunisia, and Uzbekistan.
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Interpol, founded in 1923, is the world’s largest international police force and now has 196 member countries.
