India's next terror threat may not cross the border. It may enter through your phone | WION Decodes

Not very long ago, joining a terrorist organisation often meant crossing borders. Recruits travelled to secret camps, where they met handlers in person. There, they would learn how to make explosives, communicate secretly and evade security forces through face-to-face training. However, that model is now changing. Today, much of that radicalisation journey can begin with nothing more than a smartphone, an encrypted messaging app and increasingly, artificial intelligence.

Security agencies across the world are warning that terrorist organisations are rapidly adapting to AI-powered technologies, using them not just to spread propaganda but also to recruit supporters, create fake identities, translate extremist material into multiple languages and even assist with operational planning.

For countries like India, where millions of young people spend hours online every day, the concern is no longer limited to militants crossing the border. The greater challenge may be preventing radicalisation before anyone ever leaves their bedroom. WION Decodes the changing face of terror and radicalisation.

How are terror groups using AI?

Creating propaganda once required designers, translators and video editors. Now, generative AI has dramatically changed that.

Groups linked to ISIS, Al Qaeda and other extremist organisations can now generate realistic videos, speeches, posters and audio messages in multiple languages within minutes. Europol has warned that AI is making extremist propaganda cheaper, faster and far more scalable than before.

Deepfake technology adds another layer of risk. Synthetic voices and AI-generated videos can make fake messages appear authentic, while fabricated identities allow recruiters to hide behind convincing online personas.

Recruitment has become personal: AI personalising propaganda

Perhaps the biggest change is not the technology itself but how it is being used. Instead of broadcasting one message to everyone, AI allows recruiters to tailor content to individuals. Algorithms can identify vulnerable users, personalise conversations and keep potential recruits engaged through encrypted messaging platforms and social media.

The result is a recruitment process that looks less like traditional extremist propaganda and more like targeted digital marketing.

Can chatbots manipulate vulnerable people?

The concern is no longer theoretical. Reports suggest that terrorists are now experimenting with AI chatbots.

A recent study by researcher Dr Juelich and shared with The New York Times before its publication, involving interviews with former Boko Haram members, found that some militants had begun using AI chatbots to seek technical information that could improve weapons and assist with planning attacks.

Former members said trainers linked to the Islamic State taught recruits how to create AI accounts, use VPNs, frame prompts effectively and bypass chatbot safety restrictions.

One former commander described the experience bluntly. "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."

The study suggests that extremist groups are not relying on a single AI platform. According to terrorism experts, they move between multiple chatbots depending on which one provides the information they are seeking.

Why is this harder to stop

In the past, traditional terrorist networks left a paper trail: training camps could be spotted, physical meetings could be wiretapped, and unusual travel patterns flagged suspicion. Virtual networks are a different game entirely; they operate in the shadows, leaving behind almost no physical footprint.

Encrypted messaging services, anonymous accounts, AI-generated identities and decentralised online communities make investigations significantly more difficult. Extremist content can spread across social media, gaming platforms and private channels simultaneously, allowing recruiters to reach audiences across borders without ever meeting them.

Can India stop it?

Indian security agencies have already begun treating AI-enabled radicalisation as an emerging national security challenge.

Addressing the fifth BIMSTEC National Security Advisers' Meeting on Thursday (Jul 16) Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval noted that the world is now "facing multi-domain security threats, amplified by rapid technological advancements" and called for stronger regional cooperation and practical measures to tackle technology-driven security threats. The Ministry of Home Affairs has also strengthened cyber and information security capabilities aimed at detecting online extremist activity and improving intelligence sharing.

Recent investigations in states such as Gujarat and Kerala have also reinforced the importance of early detection, cyber monitoring and coordinated intelligence to identify online radicalisation before it develops into organised terror activity.

Can AI itself become radical?

No, AI cannot become radical in the way humans can. Large language models (LLMs) do not hold beliefs or ideologies. However, they can become tools that extremist groups attempt to exploit.

While developers continue to strengthen safeguards that block requests for violent or illegal assistance, time and time again, researchers have shown that indirect prompts, multiple systems or other techniques can be used to evade those safeguards.

That means the risk lies less in AI becoming extremist and more in extremists trying to misuse AI.

What can AI do that humans couldn't?

While AI hasn't replaced terrorist groups, it has definitely made their operations faster, cheaper, and a lot harder to track.

Today, recruitment often starts with a single click. Propaganda that used to take days to produce is now generated in minutes, and fake identities can be generated almost instantly. On top of that, encrypted apps allow these groups to coordinate across borders without ever meeting face-to-face.

For intelligence agencies, the new frontline is digital. For countries like India, stopping terror is no longer just about boots on the ground; it's about cybersecurity and digital literacy.