Indian Army develops AI Chatbot to stop their officers from getting honey-trapped by spies

New Delhi: The Indian Army has developed an AI-based chatbot to address the growing threat of online honey-trapping, a tactic often employed in international espionage. Inspired by instances where Indian military personnel fell victim to online deception by foreign intelligence operatives, the chatbot is designed to assess soldiers’ susceptibility to such traps.

In 2020, an Indian Army soldier named Shantimay Rana was apprehended on suspicion of divulging military information to Pakistan. Allegedly, he fell victim to a honey-trap orchestrated by a Pakistani woman, leading to the leakage of details related to the movements and manoeuvres of his military unit.

Similarly, a 27-year-old BrahMos Aerospace Engineer named Nishant Agarwal was arrested in a joint operation by Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.

He was accused of providing technical information to a Pakistani operative and was in communication with suspected Pakistani intelligence operatives using aliases such as “Neha Sharma” and “Pooja Ranjan.” Law enforcement revealed that despite the sensitive nature of his position, Agarwal had made himself vulnerable on the internet.

Honey-trapping has emerged as a significant concern in the digital realm, with instances of online targeting involving Pakistani intelligence operatives and Indian military personnel, as well as defense executives.

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