MI5 warns AI could aid drone attacks and biological weapons development
MI5 chief Sir Ken McCallum warned that terrorist groups could use artificial intelligence to improve drone attacks in Britain and potentially develop biological weapons. He said these emerging risks require serious attention, while stressing that AI-generated pathogens have not yet been identified as an actual threat.
McCallum said MI5 has caught terrorists using AI to improve reconnaissance and attack methods, including with drones. He also warned that AI could make dangerous biological knowledge more accessible or help create previously unseen pathogens. Separately, MI5’s caseload involving hostile states has quadrupled in a decade, and the agency now devotes more resources to countering those threats than during the Cold War.
- MI5 says AI is changing the terrorist threat.
- Terrorists have sought to use AI-enabled drones.
- AI-assisted bioweapons are a serious concern, not a realised attack.
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MI5 is Britain's domestic security and counter-intelligence agency, tasked with protecting the country from threats including terrorism, espionage, and sabotage. It works to identify and prevent activities that could harm British national security.
Terrorist organisations and some hostile foreign governments continuously seek new ways to cause harm, including through acquiring advanced technologies. Artificial intelligence has become increasingly powerful and accessible in recent years, which raises the possibility that it could be misused by such groups.
Security officials worry that AI could make dangerous activities significantly easier or more effective. For instance, AI might help automate complex technical processes involved in developing weapons, or assist in planning and executing more sophisticated attacks, lowering the barriers that currently prevent many groups from carrying out such activities.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
MI5's warnings reflect legitimate concerns about a technology that terrorist groups have demonstrably begun to adopt. The specific capabilities McCallum describes—using AI to improve drone targeting and reconnaissance—are plausible extensions of how such organisations have historically embraced new technologies. Proactive attention to emerging risks, whilst still addressing them before they mature, follows sound security practice rather than representing alarmism.
The case against
Security agencies possess institutional incentives to emphasise emerging threats to justify budgets and expanded operational powers. The warnings about AI and bioweapons remain speculative rather than grounded in demonstrated attacks or clear evidence; McCallum himself acknowledges actual AI-generated pathogens have not been identified. History suggests such unproven threat assessments often lead to disproportionate responses, surveillance expansion, and regulations that may exceed what the actual risk justifies.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Terrorists are plotting drone attacks in Britain and could kill using bioweapons as AI ‘supercharges’ threats, warns the head of MI5”.