Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A landmark investigation by The New York Times and the Cambridge Programme on AI Science & Policy has uncovered that Boko Haram and its splinter faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have systematically exploited widely available artificial intelligence tools to improve bomb-making techniques, refine battlefield strategies, and strengthen operational planning, according to a report published on Friday, 10 July 2026. The investigation, based on 57 face-to-face interviews conducted in Borno and Adamawa states between 2025 and 2026 with 27 former members of the insurgent groups, revealed that the terrorists used multiple AI-powered chatbots—including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, Meta AI, and DeepSeek—to obtain technical guidance on explosives design, weapons maintenance, drone operations, and tactical decision-making.
The report traced the group's turn to AI to a specific moment of battlefield failure. According to former commanders, Boko Haram fighters launched an assault on a military base but were thwarted by a defensive trench surrounding the facility. Unable to cross the obstacle, the insurgents regrouped and turned to AI for solutions. One former commander recounted how the group queried AI platforms on how to modify motorcycles to jump over such barriers after seeing similar stunts in action movies. Using the AI-generated guidance, mechanics modified motorcycles to improve speed and acceleration, and fighters practiced maneuvers—sometimes with fatal outcomes—until they achieved enough aerial lift to mount successful attacks. The report documented that Boko Haram established dedicated AI units comprising between five and 20 members, including bomb-makers, engineers, intelligence personnel, gun specialists, and computer-literate fighters. ISWAP reportedly set up AI units across major operational bases, including Sambisa Forest, Timbuktu, and the Lake Chad region, with the Lake Chad unit described as the group's most senior AI centre, closely supervised by operatives linked to the Islamic State.
Beyond tactical mobility, the investigation found that AI tools were used extensively for bomb-making and weapons development. A former ISWAP commander told researchers that trial-and-error can kill you, and AI gives you accuracy. He explained that AI had significantly improved the effectiveness of their explosives, telling them what chemicals to put in that made the explosion heavier. The report also revealed that foreign Islamic State operatives introduced the technology to ISWAP through structured training programmes. Senior commanders attended demonstrations where AI tools were projected onto screens, while selected personnel received practical instruction on using the platforms. Foreign operatives supplied laptops reserved exclusively for AI-related work, installed virtual private networks (VPNs) and encryption software, created user accounts, paid for premium subscriptions, and provided continuous support on how to formulate prompts capable of bypassing platform safeguards.
Although major AI companies have built safeguards into their systems to block requests for harmful or illegal content, the former insurgents claimed they frequently bypassed those restrictions by disguising their prompts as legitimate academic or engineering projects. Some accounts were reportedly linked to deceased members or supporters outside Nigeria, making it more difficult for providers to identify or disable them. Reacting to the findings, OpenAI told The New York Times that the terrorists violated their policies with such actions. Google and Anthropic, the makers of Gemini and Claude respectively, said their AI models contained protections designed to refuse dangerous requests. However, the investigation has raised fresh concerns over the growing misuse of generative artificial intelligence by violent extremist groups, highlighting the challenge technology firms and governments face in preventing sophisticated digital tools from being weaponised by terrorists.
The evolution of AI use by jihadist groups—from propaganda and recruitment to tactical on-the-ground advantages—highlights a broader challenge for the AI industry. Chatbots have built-in limitations intended to prevent users from soliciting information that could cause harm, but researchers have repeatedly found that people can circumvent safety protocols, often by slowly but persistently coaxing models into divulging restricted information. As one former Boko Haram commander put it, trial-and-error can kill you, but AI gives you accuracy. That accuracy, now in the hands of one of Africa's deadliest terrorist groups, has made the insurgency more lethal—and the challenge of containing it far more complex.
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