Mijke van den Hurk, an AI scientist, investigated how artificial intelligence could help unravel the intricate factors driving radicalization.Her Ph.D.research, conducted in collaboration with the Dutch police, utilized agent-based modeling (ABM) to simulate how social and psychological mechanisms interact.

The study revealed that radicalization emerges from ordinary social processes when factors like exclusion, identity formation, and exposure to extremist ideas align under specific circumstances.Van den Hurk emphasized that radicalization is not determined by fixed personal traits but by situational mechanisms.Her model highlights how factors such as peer pressure, social status, and external circumstances influence individuals.

While the model cannot predict individual radicalization events, it could inform policy and interventions through tools like an interactive dashboard.

The research addresses the question of why some individuals join extremist groups, offering insights into the complex interplay of variables rather than simplistic explanations.