The number of AI-enabled cyber-attacks has nearly doubled during the last year, CrowdStrike has warned, as threat actors deployed machine learning and Large Language Models (LLMs) to help optimize attack techniques and hacking campaigns. According to the CrowdStrike Global Threat Report 2026, there was an 89% increase in attacks by “AI-enabled adversaries” in 2025 when compared with the previous year. Attackers deployed AI to aid with social engineering, malware development, disinformation campaigns and more. Researchers noted that when attackers use AI, it is to help optimize existing attack methods, rather than leveraging AI to help create novel new attack vectors. For example, threat actors have deployed LLMs to help write phishing emails to make them appear more convincing – even in multiple languages – while also reducing the amount of time needed to create the campaigns.

Full report : CrowdStrike says that threat actors are using AI to create new novel attack vectors.