Hackers Gain Speed, Not Major New Tradecraft, Using AI Tools

AI Augmentation Tied to Efficiency and Scale; Underlying Tactics Remain the Same Mathew J. Schwartz (euroinfosec) • February 24, 2026

Artificial intelligence tools are helping hackers accelerate some parts of their attack chain, but AI isn't delivering any major changes to offensive operations as we know them, experts say.

See Also: AI Arms Cybercriminals, and Defenders Must Match Pace

Newly released analyses of 2025 attack trends from multiple cybersecurity firms conclude that while attackers have been augmenting their efforts using generative AI tools, the much-hyped technology hasn't delivered any tradecraft breakthroughs. "GenAI adds speed, volume and noise to the threat landscape - but for now, that's about it," says a new report from cybersecurity firm Sophos.

The AI-augmented hacking story to date appears to ...