AI on the Edge: UN Warns Terrorists Could Exploit Driverless Cars and Smart Tech

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AI on the Edge: UN Warns Terrorists Could Exploit Driverless Cars and Smart Tech

 

Autonomous vehicles may soon offer more than just convenience—they could also become deadly tools in the hands of terrorists, according to a new United Nations report. Titled Algorithms and Terrorism: The Malicious Use of Artificial Intelligence for Terrorist Purposes, the document outlines how extremist groups might weaponize emerging AI technologies, raising the alarm over how advanced automation could be used to inflict mass casualties.

 

One of the most chilling concerns highlighted in the report is the potential for terrorists to hijack AI-controlled vehicles—cars, vans, or trucks—and use them as weapons in crowded urban areas. Unlike traditional vehicle-based attacks, these wouldn't require a suicide bomber or even a human driver.

 

“Vehicles, particularly cars, vans and trucks, have long been used in terrorist attacks,” warned the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism.

 

“Reflecting on the extensive history of terrorism and vehicles, increased autonomy in cars could well be an amenable development for terrorist groups, allowing them to effectively carry out one of their most traditional types of attacks remotely, without the need for a follower to sacrifice his or her life or risk being apprehended.”

 

The report also points to the broader vulnerability of AI-integrated infrastructure. With facial recognition, autonomous drones, and “smart city” systems becoming increasingly commonplace, terrorists might soon gain new tools to conduct precision strikes. Extremists could, for instance, use facial recognition to identify specific individuals for targeted killings or launch coordinated assaults using AI-controlled drones—so-called “slaughterbots”—to overwhelm security forces.

 

Beyond the threat of physical violence, the report notes the danger posed by cyber disruption. Many cities are now heavily reliant on AI to manage traffic flow, public transport, and emergency responses. Terrorists could hack into these systems to create chaos or to support ongoing attacks, making emergency responses slower and more complicated.

 

Calling for international cooperation, the UN urged governments to act swiftly to secure AI systems from potential misuse before such threats become reality. William Allchorn, a senior research fellow at the International Policing and Public Protection Research Institute, emphasized the seriousness of the threat. “The likelihood of co-ordinated attacks using hijacked or self-made AVs [autonomous vehicles] in the near future, ie five to ten years, is moderate to high and should be on the radar of all national security services and practitioners in the UK as a possible threat. Terrorist groups hijacking AI-driven vehicles to launch mass casualty attacks is a real but currently limited threat, with increasing potential as the technology matures and proliferates.”

 

The UK government has already taken steps to address AI in its updated 2023 counter-terrorism strategy, Contest. The strategy recognizes that terrorists could exploit AI not only to carry out attacks but also to disseminate radicalizing content, propaganda, and instructional material. With encrypted communication and anonymizing tools now widely available, extremists can coordinate without fear of interception.

 

Still, the government remains optimistic about AI’s potential for strengthening counter-terrorism efforts. Officials noted that AI is giving intelligence services unprecedented capabilities. They now have access to broader and faster data analysis and can swiftly translate or decode extremist communications. As the report notes, such operations “were not conceivable” just a few years ago.

 

The issue is likely to gain more attention as AI technology becomes even more integrated into daily life. Last week, Uber announced that it will begin testing fully driverless cars on public roads in the UK starting next year. Partnering with Google’s autonomous taxi firm Waymo, the pilot project will be the largest of its kind in the country and echoes a broader trend: the march toward automation is unstoppable, but so too is the need to ensure it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Times  2025-06-17