Prior to launching another offensive at a military base in eastern Nigeria, the Boko Haram fighters encountered one challenge – a defensive trench that made it difficult for the motorcycles used by the fighters to access the base.
This challenge prompted them to use artificial intelligence (AI). Having seen some motorcycles jump over obstacles in a film, they wanted to know how they could do the same through the use of an AI technology. They fed the AI technology information like the kind of motorcycles they had and the distance they had to cross.A recent research reveals that terrorist organizations are using AI chatbots not only for their propaganda activities but also for planning, training, and other battlefield tasks.
Researcher Juelich conducted interviews with 27 members who were once part of Boko Haram organization in Nigeria within the past year. The findings show that some of the militants were using AI chatbots in order to learn technical information, enhance equipment, assess missions, and help with planning. The former militants confirm that AI is used before, during, and after operations.
According to the research, extremist organizations are increasingly turning to using AI in more areas than previously known. The researchers note that they have utilized several AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and DeepSeek, switching between them to evade security features.The artificial intelligence firms claim that their products possess sufficient security measures to avoid any use of their models in the course of illegal activities. Such companies as OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and Meta insist on continuously enhancing protection from the abuse of the model and collaborating with the specialists on developing systems of safety.
Nevertheless, recent studies from other organizations reveal that some harmful prompts can remain unrestricted. According to the counterterrorism experts, although AI will hardly affect terrorism significantly overnight, the technology can facilitate the acquisition of knowledge and expertise by low-level extremists.
Security specialists also note that terrorist organizations resort to the use of artificial intelligence in order to perform such actions as translations, researches, coding, drafting documents, and communication. Moreover, some government officials argue that the technology can assist the terrorists in implementing fraud and other money-making practices in financing their network.
Still, the experts claim that AI cannot substitute the necessary experience, coordination, financing, and trust that any terrorist organizations need. The technology is more likely to enhance the effectiveness of small-scale actions.
