Austrian 18-year-old IS supporter sentenced to two years in prison for consulting ChatGPT on explosives production
Zwei Jahre Haft für jungen IS-Anhänger
An Austrian court sentenced an 18-year-old IS supporter to two years in prison, with eight months to be served, on charges including participation in a terrorist organization, criminal organization, dangerous threats, and coercion; the verdict is final. The Austrian citizen of Egyptian descent was arrested in April on suspicion of planning an attack on the Israeli embassy in Vienna and the Imam Ali Islamic Center in Floridsdorf. The prosecutor said he used artificial intelligence, discussing explosives production and storage with ChatGPT, and consulted on how to join the IS organization in West Africa and obtain an AK-47. The court found no evidence that he was preparing to commit a specific crime, so it acquitted him of charges of receiving terrorist training and directing the commission of a terrorist crime, while requiring him to continue participating in a deradicalization program, complete his studies by the summer semester of 2026, and undergo three years of probation supervision.