Join us for our next Open Call on...
How AI Fuels Political Unrest: Deepfakes, Rapid Manipulation, and the Power of Repetition
March 18, 2026 | 2:00-3:00 pm EDT
Registration is required
https://asisonline.zoom.us/meeting/register/5aq3niUEQw-rCrYZ6erwFg
Artificial Intelligence is accelerating the pace and scale of political disruption, creating unprecedented challenges for security professionals tasked with safeguarding organizations and communities. This open forum invites security professionals to examine how AI-driven technologies amplify instability through rapid information warfare, synthetic media manipulation, and cognitive vulnerabilities like repetition bias.
Specifically, the open call will examine:
· The ways in which AI enables real-time propaganda generation, automated bot networks, and micro-targeted disinformation campaigns that destabilize environments faster than traditional methods.
· The rise of hyper-realistic synthetic media to impersonate leaders, spread false narratives, provoke unrest, and incite violence, eroding trust in institutions and corporate governance.
· How AI algorithms reinforce falsehoods through repeated exposure, shaping public perception and fueling polarization.
· The ways in which political instability driven by AI can lead to insider threats, physical security incidents, and reputational damage for organizations.
Through case studies and expert discussion, this session will cover effective mitigation strategies including deploying AI-driven detection tools for deepfakes and coordinated campaigns; training security teams on cognitive bias exploitation and countermeasures; and building resilience through cross-functional crisis response and information integrity protocols.
Presenters
Diana Concannon, PsyD, PCI, CTM, is a forensic psychologist with more than two decades experience conducting threat assessment and management consultations, violence risk assessments, fitness for duty evaluations, and crisis interventions in myriad contexts. She works with government agencies, corporations, and educational institutions to establish threat assessment teams and workplace violence prevention programs. Diana is chair emeritus of the Extremism and Political Instability Community of ASIS International, and past president of the National Council of Schools of Professional Psychology. She has authored books related to kidnapping investigations and neurocriminology, articles related to threat assessment, extremism, moral injury, among other topics, and has been interviewed by more than 200 media concerns, including NPR and Forbes.
Diana is principal and co-founder of CPW Consulting Group, Inc., which owns Specialized Training Services. She is also Associate Provost of Strategic Initiatives & Partnerships at Alliant International University, where she also serves as Dean of the California School of Forensic Studies.
Steve Crimando, MA, CTM, is the principal and founder of Behavioral Science Applications LLC, a behavioral risk management advisory based in the New York Metro area. He is a disaster and emergency behavioral health clinician, educator, and responder with 35 years of experience in the field. Steve is a Certified Threat Manager (CTM) with the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (ATAP) and a Certified Master Trainer for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security National Threat Evaluation and Reporting (NTER) program. Steve is a cleared partner to the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), and an advisor/instructor for the FBI’s Community Anti-Threats Officer (CATO) program. He is currently the Steering Committee Chair for the ASIS International Extremism and Political Instability Community and a member of the Steering Committee for the Human Threat Management Community.
Steve was deployed to both the 9/11 and 1993 World Trade Center attacks, the Northeast anthrax screening center, and many other acts of terrorism. He is a published author frequently called upon by the media and the courts as an expert in crisis intervention and response. He provides training and support to multinational corporations, law enforcement, intelligence, and military organizations, NGOs, and IGOs.