Boko Haram Fighters Using AI For Bombs, Tactics, Reports Say

Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters are turning to artificial intelligence tools for help with bomb-making, weapons handling and attack planning, according to reports citing a new study on extremist use of technology.

The accounts say former commanders told Antonia Juelich, a terrorism and technology researcher at the University of Cambridge, that insurgents had used chatbots including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok and DeepSeek to solve practical problems during operations.

One example involved fighters trying to cross a trench around a military base. The reports said insurgents used AI tools to work out how to modify motorcycles for speed and jumps before testing the changes ahead of attacks.

The reports also said some former fighters used chatbots to ask questions on weapons maintenance, explosives and military tactics, raising fresh concern over how widely available AI tools could be misused by armed groups.

The development matters for Nigeria because Boko Haram and ISWAP remain active in the North East, where military operations continue against insurgent camps, supply routes and attack cells.

Sources: Vanguard, Daily Post