Boko Haram Now Using ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, Other AI Tools to Make Bombs, Plan Attacks – Report

• A New York Times report claims Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters used ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, Claude and other AI tools to improve bomb-making, battlefield tactics and military operations.

Boko Haram fighters have increasingly turned to artificial intelligence tools and action movies to improve their operational capabilities, using AI-powered chatbots to obtain guidance on battlefield tactics, weapons maintenance and other military-related tasks, according to a report published by The New York Times.

The report, citing interviews with former Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) commanders, revealed that insurgents relied on multiple AI platforms, including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok and DeepSeek, to solve operational problems and refine their attacks.

According to terrorism and technology researcher Antonia Juelich of the University of Cambridge, former insurgents explained that AI had become a valuable resource for answering technical questions that would otherwise require lengthy experimentation.

One former Boko Haram commander recalled an operation in which an assault on a military base failed because a defensive trench prevented the group’s motorcycles from crossing into the target area.

Seeking a solution, the fighters reportedly turned to AI after seeing motorcycles perform similar stunts in an action movie.

According to the former commander, they entered details such as the type of motorcycles they used and the distance they needed to clear before asking the chatbot how the vehicles could be modified.

The AI system allegedly provided step-by-step recommendations on adjustments required to increase speed and acceleration, enabling the mechanics to modify the motorcycles while fighters practised the manoeuvres before future operations.

“We saw in a movie how motorcycles can jump over bridges,” the former commander told the researcher.

“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.”

The report also claimed that insurgents consulted AI platforms for guidance on explosives and bomb-making.

A former ISWAP commander reportedly described AI chatbots as a powerful source of technical knowledge capable of providing detailed responses to complex questions.

“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,” the former commander was quoted as saying.

Another insurgent claimed AI reduced the need for dangerous trial-and-error methods when building explosives.

“Trial-and-error can kill you. AI gives you accuracy,” the fighter reportedly said.

He added that AI-generated recommendations helped improve the effectiveness of explosive devices by suggesting chemical combinations that produced more powerful blasts.

According to the report, the fighters frequently compared answers generated by different AI systems, including ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Grok and DeepSeek, to identify which platforms provided the most useful information.

The study also found that some experienced insurgents claimed they were able to bypass safety restrictions built into AI chatbots by disguising harmful requests as legitimate activities, such as film production, academic research or fictional writing.

Responding to the findings, OpenAI told The New York Times that using ChatGPT for terrorist purposes violated the company’s policies and that such activities were prohibited.

Google and Anthropic, the developer of Claude, also stated that their AI models include safeguards designed to refuse requests involving dangerous or harmful activities.

Despite those protections, researchers warned that determined users may continue attempting to exploit generative AI systems through deceptive prompts and other methods.

Experts interviewed for the report stressed that artificial intelligence is unlikely to fundamentally transform terrorism in the immediate future.

However, they warned that the technology could significantly enhance the capabilities of lower-level operatives by making technical knowledge more accessible, improving operational efficiency and accelerating the spread of expertise within extremist organisations.

The findings have renewed concerns over the misuse of rapidly advancing AI technologies by criminal and terrorist groups, even as major technology companies continue strengthening safeguards to prevent abuse.