NYT report claims Boko Haram used AI chatbots to aid bomb-making and tactics

Boko Haram members turned to artificial intelligence platforms to refine their operations and obtain information on explosives, according to a report published by The New York Times.

The report, based on interviews conducted by University of Cambridge terrorism and technology researcher Antonia Juelich with former insurgents, said the militants used AI services including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok and DeepSeek.

One former Boko Haram commander recalled that after an assault on a military installation was thwarted by a trench, the group consulted AI tools for possible solutions.

The chatbot reportedly suggested modifications that would enable motorcycles to clear the obstacle.

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

“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 quoted a former ISWAP commander as saying AI systems answered questions about bomb construction in detail.

“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.”

Another former insurgent said AI reduced the need for trial and error.

“Trial-and-error can kill you. AI gives you accuracy.”

He further claimed the technology provided guidance on chemical mixtures that increased the strength of explosive devices.

In response, OpenAI said such activities breach its usage policies, while Google and Anthropic stated that their AI models are designed to refuse requests involving harmful or dangerous information.

Despite those safeguards, the report said former insurgents claimed they frequently bypassed restrictions by framing their prompts as harmless or legitimate inquiries.

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