Japanese student arrested over ChatGPT-assisted cyberattack

A teenage student in Japan has been arrested for allegedly using ChatGPT to help create software that was used in a cyberattack resulting in the deletion of more than 46,000 anime streaming accounts.

According to international media reports, the 15-year-old high school student allegedly developed software with the assistance of ChatGPT that was used to attack Bandai Namco Filmworks streaming service, Bandai Channel.

The cyberattack disrupted the platform’s operations and led to the deletion of more than 46,000 user accounts. Police said the teenager is suspected of fraudulently interfering with business operations through the cyberattack which allegedly took place in November 2025.

Investigators believe the student exploited security vulnerabilities in the platform forcing the company to temporarily suspend parts of its service.

The student reportedly told investigators that he began using computers in the fourth grade. He said he wrote the source code himself but because the processing took a long time, he sought help from ChatGPT to complete the program in different programming languages.

According to police, the suspect admitted during questioning that he had no personal grudge against Bandai Namco Filmworks. He said he targeted the platform simply because it had a large number of user accounts that he believed he could access.