How the Bondi Beach attack became a flashpoint for global disinformation and AI-driven hate

Divisive rhetoric and AI-driven misinformation are undermining international cooperation in the wake of the deadly Bondi Beach attack, a leading counterterrorism expert has warned.

Adam Hadley, the founder and executive director of Tech Against Terrorism, an advisory organisation supported by the United Nations, said a “dangerous convergence” of interests between hostile states and terrorist groups like Islamic State was being fuelled by populist agendas and commercial interests, with artificial intelligence accelerating the reach of divisive narratives.

The warning follows a storm of speculation triggered by last Sunday’s apparently Isis-inspired mass shooting of Australian Jews commemorating Hanukkah in Sydney, which mirrored the aftermath of several recent terrorist incidents.

Initially, some mainstream media reports, citing unnamed official sources, incorrectly claimed the father-son shooters, Sajid Akram and Naveed Akram, were Afghan or Pakistani nationals before the basic facts had been disclosed by Australian authorities.

These claims quickly shifted focus to a Pakistani connection on social media, a narrative reproduced without verification by several Israeli media outlets.

The Israeli coverage also pointed to the possible involvement of Iran, Lebanese Hezbollah and Palestinian Hamas.