German Bundeswehr Uses AI to Screen Applicants for Right-Wing Extremism

The German military intelligence agency MAD has introduced a specially developed AI system for the first time to identify right-wing extremists among applicants for the Federal Armed Forces (Bundeswehr). According to “Spiegel”, the MAD has been scrutinizing the internet activities of all Bundeswehr applicants since July of this year using the AI software.

This technology, called the Assisted Constitutional Loyalty Check (uVTP), was specially tailored by the intelligence agency in cooperation with a German IT company to meet the specific needs of the MAD. The AI search examines whether applicants themselves propagate extremist content online, follow right-wing accounts, or further disseminate such material.

The magazine reported that tens of thousands of applicants have already been scrutinized by the AI software. A low three-digit number of candidates were filtered out due to a lack of constitutional loyalty. With this software, the MAD, which is responsible for security vetting within the Bundeswehr, is preparing for the expected rapid increase in the number of applicants in the coming years.