Two reports describe how al-Qaida and the Islamic State use artificial intelligence while taking different approaches shaped by their internal cultures. Both sources argue that AI is not necessarily producing a new form of terrorism, but it can lower costs and speed up or simplify existing activities. A July 2026 report cited by Asia Times, produced by the U.S.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, frames AI adoption as making established tactics more accessible and operationally efficient. It also notes that the implications may vary by group. The Conversation adds that terrorist organizations can pursue similar functional goals with AI, yet differ in how they interpret and integrate the technology. In other words, the groups’ thinking about AI—how they evaluate its usefulness, fit it into their routines, and assign roles for its use—reflects their organizational character. Taken together, the reporting emphasizes both convergence in the general availability of AI-enabled capabilities and divergence in how each group conceptualizes and applies them, rather than a single uniform shift in terrorist methods.