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.
