Terrorist groups are using AI chatbots for bomb-making and attack planning

AI has already fallen into the wrong hands and they're using it to make bombs

Artificial intelligence has quickly become the go-to tool for everything from writing emails and summarizing meetings to helping students study or developers debug code. But the same technology that saves people time can also be misused, and a new report suggests that terrorist organizations are finding ways to do exactly that. According to a research paper shared with The New York Times ahead of its publication, researchers found evidence that members of Boko Haram have been using popular AI chatbots to support both day-to-day activities and combat-related tasks. Interviews with 27 former members conducted in Nigeria over the past two years suggest that tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Grok, Meta AI, and DeepSeek were used to gather technical information, troubleshoot weapons, and even assist with planning attacks. This wasn't just a few bad actors messing around What makes the findings especially concerning is that this wasn't described as the work of a few individuals experimenting with AI. The report claims the group's use of AI had become organized, with dedicated teams, internal training, and knowledge shared between members. Researchers also say some users managed to bypass built-in safety protections designed to prevent AI from responding to requests related to violence. That doesn't necessarily mean today's AI chatbots are handing out dangerous instructions on demand. Much of the research focuses on activity through the end of 2024, and AI companies say newer versions of their models include stronger safeguards. They also point out that many prompts fall into a gray area. For example, asking an AI how to repair a motorcycle or to understand basic chemistry isn't harmful in itself, even though similar information could be misused. The challenge now is staying one step ahead OpenAI told The New York Times that using ChatGPT to support terrorism or violence violates its policies and said it continues improving its defenses against abuse. Meta similarly noted that the research primarily involved older versions of its AI models and said it has strengthened safety measures since then. Meanwhile, xAI and DeepSeek did not respond to requests for comment, according to the report. Security experts also caution against assuming AI suddenly gives terrorist groups superhuman capabilities. Planning and carrying out attacks still depends on real-world logistics, funding, communication, and human coordination -- things a chatbot can't replace. Instead, researchers believe AI is more likely to make less-experienced members somewhat more capable than dramatically change the threat landscape. Even so, the report is another reminder that the AI safety conversation isn't just about students cheating on homework or people generating fake images. As AI models become more capable and accessible, companies will continue to face pressure to ensure powerful tools remain useful for legitimate users while becoming increasingly difficult for bad actors to exploit.

The AI Industry Has Finally Found the Perfect Customer: Bloodthirsty Terrorists

Can't-miss innovations from the bleeding edge of science and tech AI chatbots has been a dream come true for criminals. The tech has been a boon for scammers. Hackers are using the tools to infiltrate networks and steal sensitive data. Art forgers are even generating fake invoices to certify the authenticity of dupes. In a perhaps-inevitable escalation, chatbots are even giving a major leg up to terrorist groups. As detailed in a new paper by University of Cambridge international security expert Antonia Juelich, former Boko Haram members recounted using frontier AI model chatbots to "assist in combat and day-today operations." The research highlights how easy it still is to circumvent AI chatbot guardrails, making them an excellent resource not just for average users doing work tasks or planning a weekend getaway -- but for bloodthirsty terrorists as well. "It has aided in attack planning, weapons troubleshooting, and the design of explosive devices, as users have successfully circumvented some safeguards," Juelich wrote in her paper. Put simply, the creators of AI tech have some serious blood on their hands. And it's not just in Nigeria; Juelich's research also highlights how the use of AI among extremist groups, including militant organization the Islamic State, has turned from generating propaganda and recruitment materials to providing tactical advice on how to maintain an on-the-ground edge. "Islamic State operatives have provided in-person AI training and remote assistance, and both factions of Boko Haram have set up dedicated AI units," Juelich wrote. "Former members described strong enthusiasm for AI within the group, and some expressed openness to mass-casualty weapons, though the group's use of AI remains conventional." Juelich's research is based on 57 in-person interview with 27 former Boko Haram members, including commanders and technical specialists. Some of them were taken aback at how easy it was to plan their next attack. "You type in the question or use your voice and it [AI] gives you a detailed answer, like 'How can I build a bomb?' and then it tells you how," one member said in an interview. "It is like a human robot! We used it a lot." "Before, the bomb explosion was not that big, but then they studied it," they added. "AI told us what chemicals to put in that made the explosion heavier." Another member recalled how young recruits easily circumvented safety guardrails by telling the chatbots that "they need it for a movie or something like that." AI companies have been caught in a yearslong game of cat-and-mouse, struggling to implement changes that bar users from obtaining dangerous informationor guidance. But despite their best efforts, it remains trivially easy to get around these protections. Case in point, during a recent investigation, the Financial Times and AI safety group Alice easily tricked Google and Meta AI models into divulging how to carry out chlorine gas attacks, steal credit information, and describe stories of child sexual abuse. In other words, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the tools have turned out to be a big hit among terrorists. "The terrorists are not waiting for us to make AI safe," Juelich told the NYT. "They are able to use them now and train them to cause harm." Spokespeople for both Anthropic and Google failed to take accountability when asked for comment by the newspaper, saying only that they had strict and effective guardrails in place. "We know that bad actors will never stop trying to misuse our tools, and we'll continue strengthening our defenses in response," OpenAI spokesman Drew Pusateri said.