Terrorist groups could exploit hijacked self-driving vehicles, bypassing the need for suicide bombers, to carry out large-scale attacks, a UN Office of Counter-Terrorism report warns.
The report says that AI’s integration into transport systems, city infrastructure, and surveillance creates new vulnerabilities. It describes potential threats ranging from “slaughterbots” to facial recognition tools used to target individuals.
William Allchorn, senior research fellow at the International Policing and Public Protection Research Institute, said UK security services must begin preparing for AI-enabled terror attacks.
“The likelihood of co-ordinated attacks using hijacked or self-made AVs [autonomous vehicles] in the near future, i.e., 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,” he said.
The UK government’s 2023 update to its counter-terrorism strategy acknowledged that terrorists are likely to use AI not only for planning and executing attacks, but also for spreading propaganda and radicalizing content.
The warnings come just as autonomous vehicles are about to become more widespread in the UK. Last week, Uber announced it would begin testing fully driverless cars on public roads in the country starting next year.
