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AI as Tradecraft: How Threat Actors Are Operationalizing AI
In this episode of the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast, host Sherrod DeGrippo is joined by Greg Schlomer and Vlad H. to discuss new research on Jasper Sleet, a North Korean–aligned threat actor incorporating AI into active operations.
The conversation examines how AI is being integrated across the attack lifecycle — from highly tailored phishing lures and fabricated job applicant personas to accelerating malware development and refining operational workflows. Rather than treating AI as a novelty, Jasper Sleet is using it to increase speed, scale, and adaptability while reducing many of the friction points that once slowed campaigns.
They also explore what this shift means for defenders. As AI compresses iteration cycles and lowers barriers to entry, traditional attribution signals evolve, influence operations become more convincing, and defensive teams must tighten the loop between intelligence, detection, and response. This is less about experimentation and more about the operationalization of AI as part of modern tradecraft.
