AI-driven vehicles could be hijacked for mass casualty terrorist attacks, a UN report warns.
The warning comes from a new joint report by the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) and the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT), titled Algorithms and Terrorism: The Malicious Use of Artificial Intelligence for Terrorist Purposes.
“Vehicles, particularly cars, vans and trucks, have long been used in terrorist attacks,” the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism stated.
The report highlights how self-driving cars, drones, and other automated systems could be seized and remotely controlled by terrorists to target crowded public spaces.
“Reflecting on the extensive history of terrorism and vehicles,” the report notes,
“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 raises concerns about AI-powered “slaughterbots,” “in which a swarm of micro drones loaded with several grams of explosives use facial recognition to identify and attack their targets in a kamikaze fashion.”
It emphasizes the need for proactive measures to prevent such misuse.
“This report…should serve as an early warning for potential malicious uses and abuses of AI by terrorists,” the report states, “and help the global community, industry and governments to proactively think about what we can do collectively to ensure new technologies are used to bring good and not harm.”
The report, supported by funding from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, notes that while terrorists have historically relied on low-tech methods like firearms, blades, and vehicles, the growing accessibility of AI could lower the technical barriers for complex attacks.
AI is increasingly integrated into fields such as medicine, marketing, communications, and transportation. However, the report warns that these same technologies could be exploited for malicious purposes as they become more widespread.
The concept of “slaughterbots” has gained attention in recent years through viral videos and speculative discussions, describing drones capable of identifying and killing targets without human intervention.
The UN stresses that such scenarios could become reality unless coordinated global action is taken to address these emerging risks.