Terrorist organizations in Africa use artificial intelligence to increase their operational capacity

Artificial intelligence is beginning to be used in the propaganda and communication activities of terrorist and armed organizations in Africa, as well as in access to technical information, in-organization training, information collection and operational processes.

Data from the United Nations Office for Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), Cambridge University Artificial Intelligence Science and Policy Program (CASP), United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee and Global Terrorism Index 2026 indicate that artificial intelligence has turned into a tool that can enable armed organizations to carry out their current activities faster and at lower cost.

CASP researcher's interviews with 27 former members of the terrorist organization Boko Haram in the northeast of Nigeria revealed that the organization has begun to use artificial intelligence systems such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, Meta AI and DeepSeek in its conflicts and daily activities.

As a result of the interviews, it was determined that members of the organization used artificial intelligence to obtain technical information on the use and maintenance of weapons, to evaluate unsuccessful operations, to make tactical planning and to improve operational security.

The fact that 15 of the 27 former Boko Haram members interviewed were aware of the organization's artificial intelligence activities showed that the use of artificial intelligence was concentrated around certain organization leaders and technical units.

The use of artificial intelligence by terrorist organizations for propaganda purposes is not a new phenomenon. However, the proliferation of productive artificial intelligence tools makes the preparation of propaganda content, translation into different languages, and production of audio, image and video faster and more cost-effective.

In the 2026 implementation guide of the UN Counter-Terrorism Office, it is evaluated that productive artificial intelligence can accelerate the production of multilingual and multi-format propaganda by terrorist organizations, and that content created by artificial intelligence can increase the spread of harmful narratives. Africa's linguistic and cultural diversity are also among the factors that can increase the impact of technology in the field of propaganda.

According to Global Terrorism Index 2026 data, Sub-Saharan Africa continues to be the epicenter of global terrorism. While terrorism-related deaths decreased worldwide in 2025, terrorism-related deaths in Nigeria increased by 46 percent to 750. The terrorist organization Boko Haram and ISWAP, the West African branch of ISIS, were held responsible for 80 percent of the deaths in the country.

"It can amplify existing security problems faster and at lower cost"

Making evaluations to the AA correspondent, Marmara University Faculty of Communication Visual Communication Design Department Head Prof. Dr. Ali Murat Kırık stated that the increased access of terrorist and armed organizations in Africa to artificial intelligence tools may add a new dimension to some of the capacities of these organizations, rather than completely changing the existing security problems on the continent.

Stating that there are already problems such as border security, weakness of state authority, irregular migration and mobility of armed groups in the Sahel region, Kırık stated that it is possible for Boko Haram and similar structures in Nigeria, and especially Somali-based organizations in East Africa, to use the digital space more effectively.

Stating that artificial intelligence can provide advantages to these structures in propaganda, communication, information gathering and carrying out existing digital activities faster, Kırık said, "Instead of seeing artificial intelligence as a new source of threat on its own, it would be more accurate to consider it as a tool that can magnify existing security problems faster and at a lower cost." he said.

Kırık stated that the linguistic diversity in Africa can facilitate the production of content for different communities with artificial intelligence tools.

Kırık pointed out that in the example of the terrorist organization Boko Haram, the use of artificial intelligence in areas such as obtaining technical information, operation planning and in-house training, apart from propaganda, can strengthen the capacity of organizations and made the following evaluations:

"Instead of considering artificial intelligence as a technology that creates a new operational capacity on its own, it is more accurate to see it as a multiplier that can enable the existing capacity to be used more efficiently. The spread of artificial intelligence tools, especially those that are low-cost and accessible to everyone, can reduce some of the previous barriers to accessing technical information."

Kırık said that deepfakes and disinformation will be among the important risks in Africa in the next 3 to 5 years, and that the linguistic and cultural diversity on the continent may facilitate the production of content specific to the target audience.

Kırık stated that the main factors that make it easier for organizations to access artificial intelligence are the technology becoming cheaper and more accessible.

"Social media and existing digital networks also increase the impact of this capacity. Therefore, instead of talking about a single factor here, it would be more accurate to say that the combination of cheap and accessible artificial intelligence tools, social media platforms and existing digital networks poses the main risk."

Underlining that security policies in the future should focus not only on restricting access to technology but also on monitoring the ecosystem created by these three areas together, Kırık said, "Increasing access of terrorist organizations and armed organizations to artificial intelligence tools in Africa may add a new dimension to some of the capacities of these organizations, rather than completely changing the existing security problems." he said.

"Artificial intelligence creates a multiplier effect in a sense"

Mersin University Faculty of Communication Lecturer Prof. Dr. Ceren Yegen stated that the spread of deepfake and artificial content, whose visibility has increased rapidly in recent years, carries serious risks in terms of disinformation and social trust, as well as propaganda activities.

Stating that the easier access of terrorist and armed organizations to artificial intelligence in Africa will bring about serious problems, Yegen said, "As in many places today, the easier access of terrorist organizations and armed organizations to artificial intelligence in Africa may complicate the already fragile security environment, especially in the Sahel, Nigeria and East Africa." he said.

Stating that the main issue here is that artificial intelligence strengthens the existing capacity in terms of speed, scale and reach, rather than artificial intelligence providing organizations with a capacity from scratch, Yegen said, "Artificial intelligence, in a sense, creates a multiplier effect." made his assessment.

Saying that propaganda is one of the areas where this effect is most visible, Yegen said, "Text, images, audio and video can be produced in different languages ​​in a short time and at low cost. This makes it easier for organizations to reach different communities. Considering the linguistic and cultural diversity of Africa, this is important." he said.

Stating that in the case of Boko Haram, the use of artificial intelligence in areas such as access to technical information, training and intra-organizational communication can strengthen the existing capacity, Yegen said: "In the coming years, even in the very near term, we can see that artificial intelligence facilitates more propaganda, deepfakes and disinformation on a mass scale than its direct operational use." he said.

Pointing out that security is no longer shaped only in the field, Yegen said, "Nowadays, security is not only shaped in the field, it is also shaped by what individuals will believe and what information they will trust." he said.

Emphasizing that artificial intelligence should not be seen as a threat on its own, Yegen said, "Artificial intelligence is, of course, not a threat on its own; however, the real risk arises when the technology in question combines with organizations' existing digital networks and social media." he said.

Yegen noted that when evaluating the risks posed by artificial intelligence in terms of security, it should not only be focused on organizations' access to technology, but also how quickly the content produced spreads, how it is adapted to different communities, and to what extent it can be circulated through social media.

"The fragile security environment of the Sahel region provides fertile ground for such expansion."

Ali Fahd, who works on Africa, stated that terrorist groups have pursued the easiest and fastest solution throughout history, and that while these groups were previously making propaganda through "religious discourses and fatwas", they have now started to benefit from artificial intelligence chatbots.

Fahd stated that nothing changes whether artificial intelligence or another tool is used, saying, "What changes is the tool used, what does not change is the purpose and mentality behind it." made his assessment.

However, underlining that the development should not be taken lightly, Fahd stated that in classical terrorist practice, being able to produce an explosive correctly required experience, master-apprentice relationship and a long trial-and-error process, and today such information can be obtained by asking a few questions on a screen.

Fahd pointed out that artificial intelligence accelerates access and dissemination of information by changing the scale of the threat rather than its nature.

Fahd said that it is not difficult to predict how quickly such a facilitating technology can spread in regions where poverty, lack of education and lack of political authority prevail, and added: "Indeed, the fragile security environment of the Sahel region provides a suitable basis for such a spread, and this increases the security risk." he said.

Stating that technology companies' statements regarding security measures may not coincide with the reality on the ground, Fahd stated that restrictions that can be overcome with simple excuses or by changing a few accounts point to an understanding of security that is nothing more than vanity.

Noting that at this point, developers should rethink the test scenarios, Fahd said, "The situation has changed from being a single, malicious individual user to organized, patient and resource-allocating structures." he said.