Al-Qaida and the Islamic State are both adopting AI – but differ in how they think about the technology

Extremist groups and their networks use AI but think about it differently. Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images Artificial intelligence may not create a new kind of terrorism, but it makes existing tactics cheaper, faster and easier. That is the central argument of a July 2026 report from the U.S.-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies. It is a convincing argument, but it leaves one question unanswered: Are different terrorist groups thinking about the technology in…