Sex chatbots show danger AI could be used to plan terror attacks, watchdog warns

Terrorists will use AI to plan atrocities with "chatbot radicalisation", a counter-terror watchdog has warned.

Jonathan Hall KC said artiticial intelligence could be used for propaganda, attack planning and spreading disinformation which may trigger acts violence. The independent reviewer of terrorism legislation said new laws may be needed to ban software designed to stir up racial or religious hatred.

Mr Hall said terrorist chatbots already exist "presented as fun and satirical models". In his annual report he said: "The popularity of sex-chatbots is a warning that terrorist chatbots could provide a new radicalisation dynamic, with all the legal difficulties that follow in pinning liability on machines and their creators."

The report pointed to the case of Jaswant Singh Chail, who climbed into the grounds of Windsor Castle in 2021 armed with a crossbow. He had conversed with a chatbot called Sarai about planning the attack.

More widely, Mr Hall said "generative artificial intelligence's ability to create text, images and sounds will be exploited by terrorists".

It comes as MPs were told that identifying extremists from their online activity is "not an exact art". Robin Simcox, the UK's Commissioner for Countering Extremism, said the internet gives an "unbelievable boon" to terror groups.

But he told members of the Home Affairs Select Committee that the internet is "not the only show in town" - with many radicalised by a combination of online and offline influences.

Lord David Anderson, Interim Commissioner of the Prevent programme - which counters the threat of extremism - said that that the average age of those referred is now 16.

Lord Anderson, who will today(WED) publish a long-awaited report into Prevent's effectiveness, said 40% of referrals are aged 11 to 15. This will examine the cases of Southport killer Axel Rudakabana and Ali Harbi Ali, who murdered Tory MP David Amess in 2021.

He told MPs his report will look at changes made to the Prevent programme in light of the horrific violence by perpetrators who had previously been referred.

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