25 Years Later: A Demonstration of Innovation in the Aftermath of 9/11

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- As we approach the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the House Committee on Homeland Security held a live showcase for Members and staff across Congress, highlighting the evolving threat environment and the modernization of the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) capabilities in the last two decades. From virtual reality training and 'jailbroken AI,' to drones and canine units supporting components across the department, these demonstrations showcase the diverse tools and capabilities DHS uses to protect the United States. Drones and AI are prime examples of threats that were barely contemplated 25 years ago that now pose significant security challenges for DHS, officials at all levels of government, and our communities.

"The country will mark 25 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers. A lot has changed over the past two decades, including our security systems, technology, and the type of threats that are facing our country--and we got an exclusive look at some of those changes."

The DHS components that participated include U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Fire Administration, Federal Protective Service (FPS), the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), DHS Office of Health Security (OHS), and the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T). The National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center (NCITE), a DHS center of excellence led by the University of Nebraska at Omaha, also provided demonstrations. Several senior leaders from DHS also joined the Committee for the event.

In his opening remarks for the event, Chairman Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY) said: "As the Committee established in response to the attacks of September 11, we are tasked with the responsibility of providing the Department of Homeland Security with the tools, resources, and oversight needed to accomplish its no-fail mission. As a lifelong New Yorker and the representative of a community forever marked by the attacks of 9/11, this mission is deeply personal to me… I also want to share my appreciation for the administration officials who have joined us today. Thank you to you and your components for your tireless work in strengthening U.S. national security. Your commitment to the security and resilience of our government, borders, communities, and transportation systems does not go unnoticed by this Committee."

K-9 UNITS

In the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, canine units played important support roles at Ground Zero, creating a lasting legacy during the creation of the homeland security mission that we know today. Today, K-9 teams across the department, including TSA, CBP, FEMA, FPS, USSS, and the USCG, help DHS navigate evolving threats and environments.

These working dogs help DHS personnel save lives when disaster strikes; detect and interdict hidden explosives, narcotics, firearms, electronics, counterfeit money, chemical threats, and prohibited agricultural products; extend explosive detection operations to maritime environments; and provide all personnel with the emotional support they need to safely continue their missions.

TSA Unit Chief James Pruitt said: "With me today are teams from our National Explosive Detection K-9 team program. So, this is Damaris and Sanja out of Ronald Reagan National Airport. And what they're doing is just a quick simulated search of an unattended item at an airport. As you can see, she's showing a little bit of interest on that second bag there, and that is an indication to the presence of a potential threat… They are very important. They play a great role in our multi-layer security approach in keeping transportation environments safe."

S&T: "This is a quadruped, and basically what they do is they provide security for perimeters around facilities, also the flight line at airports, you know, looking for things that are out of the ordinary. So, there are two forward cameras, one on either side, one rear camera. You can put different types of sensors onto the dog, right? The human can't see infrared, but this can."

JAILBROKEN AI

To showcase how terrorists and other bad actors could utilize emerging technology, NCITE provided Members and staff with a demonstration of how generative AI models without safety guardrails could be used to plot an attack on the homeland. While startling, this research allows DHS to stay ahead of the evolving threat landscape, identify and address vulnerabilities before bad actors exploit them, and ensure our national security posture is prepared to meet the moment.

NCITE Director of Academic Research Sam Hunter said: "AI is no longer in the realm of science fiction. It's now in the realm of what's happening by terrorist actors… So, if you were to take something like ChatGPT or Gemini and ask it to do something dangerous, for the most part, those models will come back and say, you can't do that, you shouldn't do that. In fact, here's maybe some help that you should seek for that. There's a rise of what are called jailbroken or obliterated or uncensored models. With those models, all of those guardrails have been removed. And so, when you ask it to do something dangerous, it's more than happy to tell you how to do something dangerous. We've seen a significant rise in the downloads and potential use cases of those models."

Fox News' Griff Jenkins said: "The threat that I was demonstrating there is jailbroken AI, meaning if you have, if you go to ChatGPT and ask, 'I'd like to know how to make a bomb,' or some sort of threatening thing, it gets flagged right away, and it's contained. These are AI [models] that are not connected to the web, they have no guardrails, and you can ask it anything… I said can you ask it to help me design a plan to attack a college football stadium… and it gave me a very detailed answer asking me, did I want to do a vehicle born explosion, or did I want to do a sniper attack, or did I want to do a traditional planted bomb… It then validated me saying literally the words: 'You absolutely can do this.' And then, as it walked me through how I should continue to do it, it even gave me a rocket ship emoji to encourage me."

"Thank goodness we have…these NCITE analysts working on this. I said, is this just our enemies, traditional enemies like ISIS, as we remember 9/11? And she said, no. One of the real threats is a lone wolf type person in America that has some grievance for something in this age of rage we live in that gets with this thing and gets details to carry out an attack for which, you know, normally would take someone years to train to do. You can get it right there on AI and then it will continue to encourage you."

DRONES:

CBP's Center for Air and Marine Drone Exploitation, TSA, and FPS provided static presentations of drone technology, not only highlighting how these systems are used to increase situational awareness and operational safety for personnel, but to extract and extrapolate data--helping to take down other drones that could pose a threat to the public. Hundreds of rogue drones were seized near World Cup sites on U.S. soil this summer, showcasing the real-world impacts of this technology for every level of law enforcement and potential bad actors.

Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence Chairman August Pfluger (R-TX) said: "Big drones, small drones--drones are the future. They're the future of warfare. We have to know defensive capabilities, but we also have to have offensive capabilities. Looking for cartels that are operating, smuggling drugs, trafficking people, trying to attack power plants or critical infrastructure."

CBP Acting Deputy Commissioner Ron Vitiello said: "It's great to see how [CBP personnel] advance the mission using the technology that's in their hands every single day so they can protect themselves. They know where they are. They know where the threats are. They can communicate more effectively than maybe I could've 40 years ago on the front line."

Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement Chairman Michael Guest (R-MS) said: "It is truly a force multiplier. It's going to allow us to cover the border in its entirety between physical barriers and in the technology that we're going to be able to install across the Southwest border. Much of that during the president's term, we will continue to maintain the most secure border in American history."

VIRTUAL REALITY:

As this threat environment evolves, so must the training for DHS personnel preparing to operate in it. FPS and other DHS components use immersive virtual-reality training environments to enhance officer readiness, rapid decision-making, de-escalation tactics, and crisis response capabilities. Last week's demonstration transported Members and staff to locations such as the 9/11 Memorial in New York City, allowing participants to traverse new environments at the press of a button.

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