HR 1736: Generative AI Terrorism Risk Assessment Act

HR 1736 in plain English: This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to periodically assess and report to Congress on terrorism threats posed by generative artificial intelligence, defined as AI models that produce synthetic images, videos, audio, text, and other digital content. It also directs DHS to gather and share related information from state and local fusion centers, and requires other federal agencies to share relevant information with DHS.

Stated purpose

To require the Department of Homeland Security to conduct annual assessments of terrorism threats posed by generative artificial intelligence and report findings to Congress over five years.

Key points

• Requires DHS to periodically assess and report to Congress on generative AI terrorism threats.
• Directs DHS to review and share threat information from state, local, and urban area fusion centers.
• Requires other federal agencies to share generative AI terrorism-related information with DHS.

Arguments supporters make

• Generative AI is a new and fast-moving technology that terrorists could use to spread extremist content or help develop weapons, and the government needs a clear, regular picture of that threat to respond effectively.
• Requiring public release of unclassified findings keeps citizens and local officials informed while still allowing classified details to be protected in a separate annex.
• Coordinating information across federal agencies and local fusion centers closes gaps that terrorists could otherwise exploit, making the overall threat picture more complete.

Arguments opponents make

• The bill only requires reports and information sharing — it creates no enforcement tools, no new resources, and no specific actions to actually stop AI-enabled terrorism, making it largely symbolic.
• Annual government assessments may lag behind the rapid pace of AI development, meaning the findings could be outdated by the time they reach Congress and the public.
• Broad information-sharing mandates across many agencies raise concerns about privacy and civil liberties, even though the bill instructs DHS to coordinate protections without specifying firm safeguards.

Tradeoffs

Producing regular, publicly available threat assessments improves transparency and awareness but may not move fast enough to keep pace with rapidly evolving AI capabilities; expanding information sharing between agencies can strengthen security coordination but also increases the risk of overreach into individuals' privacy.

Current status in Congress: Passed House.

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