AI for Social Good: Combatting Extremism and Supporting Crisis Victims

ThroughLine, a New Zealand-based startup that provides mental health crisis support for users of AI platforms like ChatGPT, is expanding its mission to combat violent extremism through AI-assisted intervention.

The company, founded by Elliot Taylor and based in Taranaki, currently fields crisis calls for users of OpenAI’s ChatGPT and is in discussions with Anthropic to extend similar support, according to its leadership. ThroughLine’s model connects individuals in distress with human responders enhanced by AI tools designed to assess risk and guide interventions.

Now, ThroughLine is adapting its crisis response framework to address the growing use of artificial intelligence by extremist groups for radicalization and recruitment. The startup aims to apply its expertise in real-time human-AI collaboration to identify and support individuals showing signs of extremist involvement, particularly those vulnerable to AI-driven propaganda and algorithmic targeting.

This shift comes as research highlights how extremist organizations systematically exploit AI technologies—including recommendation algorithms, behavioral profiling, and generative content—to identify and manipulate psychologically vulnerable populations. These tactics allow groups to circumvent traditional counterterrorism methods by personalizing outreach at scale.

ThroughLine’s approach integrates AI-assisted monitoring with human judgment to intervene early in the radicalization process. The company references its alignment with The Christchurch Call, a global initiative to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online, as a guiding framework for its new extremism prevention work.

The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism released a Practice Guide in February 2026 on Artificial Intelligence and Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism, which ThroughLine says informs its evolving strategy. The guide emphasizes the need for human rights–centered, technologically informed responses to AI-facilitated extremism.

While ThroughLine continues to support AI firms in managing user distress, its expansion into extremism intervention reflects a broader trend of tech-adjacent startups addressing societal risks posed by the same technologies they help sustain. The company operates remotely, with staff based across New Zealand and internationally, delivering support from home and rural offices as well as urban centers like Auckland.

ThroughLine did not disclose financial details, user volumes, or specific metrics regarding its current crisis support or planned extremism initiatives. The company describes its work as grounded in clinical best practices and direct engagement with individuals in crisis, augmented—not replaced—by AI tools.