ISIS Affiliate Pushes Recruits to Embrace AI

Afghan extremist group IS-K's magazine frames chatbots as secure propaganda tools

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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The Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K), an Afghan offshoot of ISIS, is publishing guides in its English-language magazine on how followers should use artificial intelligence "responsibly" as part of their activities. The magazine offers tips on using chatbots for religious messaging and online outreach while staying anonymous, and frames AI literacy as a personal religious duty.

Why it matters

This shift from earlier jihadi skepticism about high-tech tools to an explicit embrace of AI represents a concerning development, as experts warn that off-the-shelf AI, including large language models, is helping create "tailored propaganda" and could eventually enable "chatbot radicalization." The material has caught the attention of terrorism and AI experts who are monitoring how militant groups like ISIS are wielding AI for everything from financing their operations to luring in teens.

The details

Recent issues of Voice of Khorasan, produced by IS-K, lay out how followers should use artificial intelligence "responsibly" as part of their activities. The magazine opens with the slogan "AI is like fire. You can use it to light a home, or to burn it down," and offers tips on using chatbots for religious messaging and online outreach while staying anonymous. The guidance urges recruits to become "cyber-conscious," warning them not to feed chatbots names, files, or queries that could identify them or touch on sensitive political or security issues. Earlier content goes further, declaring AI literacy a personal religious duty on par with prayer and fasting and calling the technology a "shield and compass" in a digital world rife with threats.

  • The EU sanctioned the magazine's publisher, Al Azaim Media Foundation, last year.
  • IS-K has been tied to attacks in Afghanistan, as well as Russia, Iran, and Pakistan, and linked to a foiled plot against Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna in 2024.

The players

Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K)

An Afghan offshoot of ISIS that is publishing guides on using AI "responsibly" in its English-language magazine, Voice of Khorasan.

Al Azaim Media Foundation

The publisher of the Voice of Khorasan magazine, which was sanctioned by the EU last year.

Jonathan Hall

The UK government's independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, who warns that off-the-shelf AI, including large language models, is helping create "tailored propaganda" and could eventually enable "chatbot radicalization."

Avi Jager

An expert from AI security firm Alice, who says the guidance in the IS-K magazine signals a shift from earlier jihadi skepticism about high-tech tools to an explicit embrace of AI, as long as it's used under tightly defined conditions.

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What they’re saying

“Off-the-shelf AI, including large language models, is helping create 'tailored propaganda' and could eventually enable 'chatbot radicalization'.”

— Jonathan Hall, UK government's independent reviewer of terrorism legislation (Politico)

“The guidance signals more than just practical advice: It represents a shift from earlier jihadi skepticism about high-tech tools to an explicit embrace of AI, as long as it's used under tightly defined conditions.”

— Avi Jager, AI security firm Alice (Politico)

The takeaway

This development highlights the growing concern among terrorism and AI experts about how militant groups like ISIS are leveraging AI technology, including chatbots and large language models, to create tailored propaganda and potentially radicalize new recruits. The shift from skepticism to embracing AI, albeit with tight controls, represents a troubling evolution in the tactics of these extremist organizations.