French teenager arrested for planning terrorist attacks using ChatGPT
A 17-year-old French teenager was arrested in September 2025 for plotting terrorist attacks and reportedly used ChatGPT to plan assaults on a school and government buildings. According to his lawyer, the teenager used the AI system repeatedly in preparing his attack plans and confessed to the charges.
What happened
A 17-year-old French teenager was arrested in Le Mans in September 2025 and charged with terrorist-related offences after using ChatGPT to plan attacks targeting a school in Sarthe and government buildings in Paris. According to his lawyer, the teenager used ChatGPT repeatedly to prepare his attack plans and confessed to the charges. Authorities discovered a pledge of allegiance to the Islamic State and lists of schools in Le Mans at his home.
Reported impact
The case highlights the risk that radicalised youths using AI systems could plan terrorist attacks with increased sophistication. The incident raises concerns about how accessible and free AI tools can be used to assist in planning violent acts.
Index analysis
ChatGPT is a widely accessible and free generative AI system that can respond to requests for planning assistance without guardrails specific to terrorist plots. The teenager's use of the system to gather information and plan attacks demonstrates how dual-use AI capabilities can be exploited by individuals with harmful intent.
Governance controls
The case calls for strengthened strategies to detect and disrupt AI-assisted radicalisation and terrorist plots. OpenAI's content moderation and safety systems did not prevent the teenager from using ChatGPT for this purpose.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.