Terrorists Planning To Use AI Drones To Att∆ck UK, British Intelligence Agency Warns
Terrorists Planning To Use AI Drones To Attack UK, British Intelligence Agency Warns 
The MI5 director-general said AI-enabled drones had introduced a new dimension to the threat, warning that the technology was increasing the capabilities of both attackers and security agencies.
The head of Britain’s domestic intelligence agency, MI5, Sir Ken McCallum, has warned that terrorists are exploring ways to use artificial intelligence and drones to carry out attacks in the United Kingdom, as security officials face growing threats from advanced technology.
McCallum gave the warning in his annual speech at MI5 headquarters in Thames House, central London, on Tuesday.
According to The Telegraph, he revealed that the agency had disrupted terrorist plans involving attempts to use artificial intelligence to improve surveillance and attack methods.
The MI5 director-general said AI-enabled drones had introduced a new dimension to the threat, warning that the technology was increasing the capabilities of both attackers and security agencies.
“Just as the benefits of AI are real, so are the national security risks,” McCallum said, adding that terrorists with limited technical abilities could become more dangerous if safeguards failed.
He also warned that hostile actors could eventually gain the ability to use biological or radiological weapons. Although such weapons have long been of interest to terrorist groups, McCallum said they had historically been difficult for them to obtain or deploy.
The MI5 chief said the British government was taking additional steps to address the risks posed by artificial intelligence and prevent terrorist groups from exploiting emerging technologies.
McCallum also warned that Iran was targeting British military sites, describing the development as a major shift in the country’s ambitions.
British counter-terrorism police are investigating an alleged plot involving RAF Fairford after three suspicious vans were discovered near the military base in the early hours of September 27. Five men were arrested in connection with the alleged plot.
On Monday, the British Prime Minister said the incident was “almost certainly” the work of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Britain and 28 other countries have also accused Iran of engaging in activities including killings, arson, sabotage and cyberattacks.
McCallum declined to discuss the RAF Fairford investigation in detail, warning that doing so could affect the ongoing police inquiry. However, he indicated that the incident was not an isolated case involving potential threats to British military installations.
“Do not draw inferences about any other specific incident when I say Fairford is not unique in the UK,” he said.
He disclosed that MI5 operations linked to Iran had resulted in more than 50 arrests across the United Kingdom over the past 12 months.
The intelligence chief also identified Russia as a major security threat, accusing Moscow of conducting hostile activities ranging from sabotage to cyberattacks and alleged assassination plots.
His speech came after British authorities raised the country’s terrorism threat level to “severe”, meaning an attack is considered highly likely. McCallum said the increase was driven in significant part by extreme right-wing terrorism.
He said MI5 had observed a rise in cases where extremist anti-immigration and anti-Muslim views developed into terrorist intentions.
McCallum also disclosed that intelligence officers had recently helped prevent a potentially deadly attack overseas involving a 13-year-old who had been radicalised by extreme right-wing ideology in Britain.
The warnings highlight the range of threats facing British security agencies, from the use of artificial intelligence in terrorist operations to foreign-linked activities and the radicalisation of young people.
