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Boko Haram fighters have increasingly turned to artificial intelligence tools to improve their operations, using chatbots to obtain technical guidance on attacks, weapons and battlefield tactics, according to a report by The New York Times on Friday.
Citing a study by terrorism and technology researcher Antonia Juelich of the University of Cambridge, the newspaper reported that some Boko Haram members used AI-powered chatbots to overcome operational challenges during attacks in Nigeria.
The study was based on interviews conducted over the past year with former Boko Haram members in Nigeria.
According to the report, former commanders told the researcher that after an assault on a military base was frustrated by a defensive trench, the group consulted AI tools for ideas on how to modify motorcycles to jump over such obstacles.
“We saw in a movie how motorcycles can jump over bridges.
“We used AI to learn how to do this. We gave it information, like what motorcycles we use and the distance we need to jump and so on, and it gave us steps on what we have to do,” a former Boko Haram commander told Juelich.
The report said mechanics upgraded the motorcycles for greater speed and acceleration, while fighters repeatedly practised the manoeuvre before carrying out another attack.
Beyond battlefield tactics, the study found that insurgents also used AI chatbots to seek information on designing improvised explosive devices, repairing or upgrading weapons and gathering operational information.
“You type in the question or use your voice, and it gives you a detailed answer, like ‘How can I build a bomb?,’ and then it tells you how. It is like a human robot! We used it a lot,” a former commander in Islamic State West Africa Province told Juelich last year.
According to Juelich’s study, members consistently reported benefiting from AI.
“Trial-and-error can kill you. AI gives you accuracy,” one member told the researcher.
Another former Boko Haram member said the group also relied on AI to make its explosives more destructive.
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“Before, the bomb explosion was not that big, but then they studied it. AI told us what chemicals to put in that made the explosion heavier,” he said.
The study also found that some fighters viewed AI as an increasingly important tool in their operations.
The New York Times said the study suggests extremist groups are expanding their use of generative AI beyond propaganda, recruitment and translation into operational planning and battlefield support.
Former insurgents told the researcher the group used multiple AI platforms, including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok and DeepSeek.
The report also cited recent studies warning that terrorist organisations are increasingly experimenting with AI for reconnaissance, communications, coding, intelligence gathering and other operational tasks, despite safety measures built into many chatbot systems.
Responding to the findings, OpenAI told the newspaper that using its products for terrorism or violence violates its policies and that it continues to strengthen safeguards against misuse.
Google and Anthropic also said their AI models contain protections designed to refuse dangerous requests, while stressing they continue to improve safety measures.
Despite those safeguards, the study said former insurgents told the researcher that experienced members were often able to bypass chatbot restrictions by disguising their requests as legitimate projects, such as claiming the information was needed for a film.
Researchers said the group also experimented with multiple AI platforms to compare responses and identify systems that revealed more information.
While analysts cautioned that AI is unlikely to dramatically transform terrorism in the short term, they warned that the technology could improve the capabilities of lower-level operatives and accelerate thel spread of technical knowledge among extremist groups
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