Cambridge Report reveals Boko Haram’s organised use of AI for attacks, drone operations

A new report by the Cambridge Programme on AI Science & Policy has revealed that Boko Haram has integrated artificial intelligence into its insurgency, using widely available AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, Meta AI and DeepSeek to support attack planning, explosives design, drone operations and battlefield decision-making.

The report, based on 57 face-to-face interviews conducted in Borno and Adamawa states between 2025 and 2026, found that the terrorist group has moved beyond casual experimentation with AI to establish dedicated technical units responsible for applying the technology across different stages of its operations.

Researchers interviewed 27 former Boko Haram members, including mid-ranking commanders, bomb-makers, engineers, weapons specialists and other technical personnel. Their testimonies covered the group’s AI activities between 2023 and 2024, while one participant provided information extending to mid-2025.

According to the report, 15 of the 27 interviewees had direct knowledge of the AI programme, while the remaining participants were unaware because access to the technology was limited to selected commanders and specialised technical teams.

The findings showed that both factions of Boko Haram—the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS)—created dedicated AI units comprising between five and 20 members. These teams included bomb-makers, engineers, intelligence personnel, gun specialists, computer-literate fighters and senior commanders.
ISWAP reportedly established AI units across major operational bases, including Sambisa Forest, Timbuktu and the Lake Chad region. The Lake Chad unit was described as the group’s most senior AI centre and was closely supervised by operatives linked to the Islamic State.

JAS also developed a central AI unit alongside smaller teams operating under each of its four senior commanders.
Unlike ordinary fighters, members of these specialised units were exempted from frontline combat. Their primary responsibility was to interact with AI systems, analyse the responses and translate the information into operational guidance for commanders and fighters.

One former member told researchers that access to the computers was strictly controlled, with only designated AI specialists allowed to use the systems before passing instructions down the command chain.

The report further revealed that foreign Islamic State operatives introduced the technology to ISWAP through structured training programmes. Senior commanders reportedly attended demonstrations where AI tools were projected onto screens, while selected personnel received practical instruction on using the platforms.

One training session reportedly involved between 30 and 50 carefully selected commanders and fighters, with each battalion nominating its most technically capable members.
Researchers found that the original Lake Chad AI unit later trained about 10 personnel in each of 12 operational camps, creating a network of specialists while maintaining tight restrictions on direct access to the technology.

Foreign operatives also 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.

According to the report, Boko Haram maintained subscriptions across several AI providers using accounts created and funded by members of the wider Islamic State network operating in countries such as Sudan. Some accounts reportedly belonged to supporters outside Nigeria, while others were linked to deceased members, making it more difficult for providers to identify or disable them.

The report documented several operational applications of AI, including planning attacks, designing and troubleshooting explosive devices, repairing firearms and vehicles, improving logistics and procurement, enhancing communications security, calculating drone payloads, refining drone release mechanisms, analysing battlefield images and reviewing failed operations to improve future attacks.

In one instance, AI reportedly helped ISWAP commanders devise methods of crossing military defensive trenches with motorcycles after previous assaults had been unsuccessful.
Another account described how images captured by a fighter wearing a chest-mounted camera were transmitted to commanders, who uploaded the footage to ChatGPT for battlefield analysis before sending revised tactical instructions back to fighters.

Former bomb-makers also told researchers they frequently consulted AI systems while constructing explosive devices, returning to the chatbots whenever a design failed or required modification.

Interviewees said the technology enabled the group to coordinate attacks using smaller units, improve the effectiveness of explosive devices and reduce casualties among its own fighters.

One former member summed up the perceived value of the technology by telling researchers that “trial and error can kill you” while AI provided greater accuracy.

The report also found that AI played a role in ISWAP’s expanding drone programme by providing guidance on payload calculations and mechanisms for releasing loads during operations.

Researchers said platform safety measures were often circumvented after foreign trainers taught selected members how to disguise prohibited requests as fictional research or material intended for film production. When one chatbot rejected a request or suspended an account, operatives reportedly switched to alternative accounts or different AI platforms.

Although some interviewees discussed interest in chemical and biological weapons and described limited experimentation with chemical agents, the report found no evidence that either Boko Haram faction currently possesses a developed chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear weapons capability.

The researchers concluded that Boko Haram has transformed publicly accessible AI chatbots into an organised technical support system controlled by senior commanders, supported by foreign extremist networks and integrated into multiple aspects of the group’s insurgent operations.