Failed terrorist caught after he asked AI chatbot how to join ISIS, court told

By CLAIRE DUFFIN, SENIOR REPORTER Published: 15:22, 4 August 2026 | Updated: 15:27, 4 August 2026 A young man travelled to Somalia to join ISIS after asking an AI chatbot how to make contact with members of the terror group, a court heard. Mohamed Mohamoud, 22, was said to be 'longing for martyrdom' when he left Bristol in a failed bid to join ISIS. He had sought advice from the unnamed AI chatbot before travelling to Somalia in an attempt to get to one of terror group's strongholds, a court heard. Jurors were told speaking to AI chatbots was now part of the vetting process for joining ISIS. Mohamoud is on trial at Winchester Crown Court accused of preparing for acts of terrorism between October 1 2024 and March 5 2025. The court heard he is originally from the Puntland area of north Somalia and moved to the UK in 2020 to join his mother and brother who were living in Bristol. Naomi Parsons, prosecuting, said he became radicalised while living in the UK and 'embraced the ideology of Islamic State'. She told the jury: 'And with this came a strong desire to return to Somalia and join Isis, to join the Mujahideen, it literally means one who struggles or a fighter, who operate in the mountainous areas near a city called Bosaso, in the north of the Puntland region. 'Indeed, not only was it a strong desire, but Mr Mohamoud viewed it as his duty.' Mohamed Mohamoud, 22, is on trial at Winchester Crown Court (pictured) accused of preparing for acts of terrorism between October 1 2024 and March 5 2025 Ms Parsons said he then tried to find a contact to help him join the terrorist group. 'By late 2024 Mr Mohamoud had resolved to join Islamic State in Somalia and bring that into effect,' she said.  'The process is not easy. It is not transparent. You don't just fill out a form and pay a fee. 'It takes connections. It takes AI bots and humans working together to find those who are ideologically aligned, the real deal, to join Islamic State.' 'He went online to speak to AI bots and real people. 'He found a contact online and told them: 'I am a Somali boy living in England. I want to travel to Bosaso to join the Mujahideen. Do you know the process on how to migrate?' He failed to find a guide but booked a flight to Somalia anyway and flew on January 30 2025. He had booked a return flight for March 3 but had no intention of returning to the UK, she said. 'As messages show, Mr Mohamoud had no intention of returning to the UK. Indeed, he aspired not simply to join Isis, but he aspired to martyrdom,' she told the court.  'It seems the return ticket was simply to put his family members off the scent – his family were suspicious of him, his mother told him she thought he had been 'brainwashed by Al-Shabaab', another terrorist organisation operating in Somalia'. He is said to have told a contact: 'God willing I am ready to leave here and I will not return.' Mohamoud stayed in the country with his grandmother and continued to regularly speak to two contacts within Islamic State, it was heard. He told one: 'I am sincere. Only God knows what's in my heart. 'I'm longing for martyrdom honestly. There's no better time than now.' The court heard his constant use of his phone to send messages, take photos and speak to AI bots has provided a wealth of information on his goings-on in the country and his attempts to join Islamic State. Islamic State in Somalia, also known as IS-Somalia, is a militant group founded in 2015 from a splinter group of another Al-Qaeda-affiliated terror group. It aims to overthrow the government in the East African country, establish an Islamic fundamentalist society and act as a support network for ISIS globally. However because of an ongoing military operation against Islamic State by the Somali government, roads were closed off to the organisation's bases and Mohamoud was unable to join them. Ms Parsons said the counter-terrorism operations meant 'getting into Isis territory was incredibly difficult'. She said Mohamoud had taken enough money to live on in Somalia and was concerned if he had not reached ISIS by the time of his return ticket he would be reported missing and action would be taken to find him. He had bought supplies for his mission including hiking boots and a solar-powered battery pack, but struggled to find a 'guide' to joining Isis. Ms Parsons said that after arriving in Somalia, Mohamoud sent a message to a bot used to facilitate contact with ISIS saying he had come from the UK and wanted to 'join the Mujahideen'. She said he was then put in contact with two recruiters but was told by one called Abu Ali: 'Did you realise we're actually in the middle of a war? You realise how dire things have got. Air strikes keep pounding and there's fierce combat happening as we speak. You're following all this?' Ms Parsons said that Mohamoud replied: 'Yeah brother, I am fully aware. I'm longing for martyrdom, honestly, there's no better moment than right now.' But he was told that the 'roads' were closed to joining Isis because of the 'war'. He was offered a role spying on local communities in the country but it was not in the military as he had hoped and he returned to the UK on his flight on March 3. He was arrested in January when his mobile phones were seized. Mohamoud, who was assisted in the dock by a Somali interpreter, denies the charge and the trial continues. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.