Somali Man Accused of Trying to Join ISIS After Seeking Advice from AI Chatbot

A Somali man accused of wanting to join ISIS after seeking advice from an AI chatbot.

A Somali man living in the UK attempted to join the ISIS group after having a conversation with an artificial intelligence (AI chatbot), a court was told.

The court was told that Mohamed Mahmoud, 22, traveled to Somalia in an attempt to join a 'terrorist group' in one of its strongholds after receiving advice from the AI program.

He was said to have wanted to become a martyr for his faith but failed in his attempt to join the Islamic State and was arrested upon his return to England.

Mr. Mahmoud is facing charges at Winchester Crown Court after denying allegations of preparing for acts of terrorism or terrorist acts.

The court heard that conversations with AI programs were part of the process of assessing individuals wanting to join ISIS, also known as IS or Isis.

'He became an extremist who believed in extreme Islamic ideology.'

Naomi Parsons, the prosecuting lawyer, spoke about Mr. Mahmoud, who came to the UK in 2020 or 2021 to live in Bristol: "At one point, he took on extremist thinking. The prosecution claims he became an extremist who believed in extreme Islamic ideology, which led to a desire to join the Islamic State."

She stated that Mr. Mahmoud "decided to join the Islamic State in Somalia" before the end of 2024, and as part of the way he communicated with the group, he "went online to talk to AI programs," as well as real people.

After contacting someone online, he reportedly said: "I am a Somali boy living in England. I want to travel to Bosaso [a city in northeastern Somalia] to join the mujahideen. Do you know how to make the journey (hijra)?"

The term "mujahideen" is often used to refer to those participating in jihad.

The court was presented with information stating that Mr. Mahmoud booked a flight ticket back to Somalia, and he traveled there on January 30, 2025; he stayed with his grandmother while regularly communicating with two members of the ISIS group.