AI-Assisted Red Teaming

TL;DR

• AI can suggest attack vectors, craft payloads, and help with reconnaissance. It speeds the tactical work.
• AI doesn't replace creativity, context, or the ability to pivot when the obvious path fails. You own the strategy.
• Use AI as a force multiplier. Don't let it dictate the engagement—you're the one in the client's environment.

Red teaming is adversarial creativity. AI can augment that—but it tends toward known patterns. The best finds are often off-script.

What AI Helps With

• Reconnaissance. "What subdomains might exist? What technologies is this stack using?" AI suggests and aggregates. You verify.
• Payload generation. XSS, SQLi, command injection. AI cranks out variants. You test and refine.
• Attack tree building. "Given these services, what's the path to domain admin?" AI suggests chains. You validate feasibility.
• Report drafting. Summarize findings, suggest remediations. AI speeds write-up. You own accuracy and tone.
• Tool usage. "How do I use Burp/custom script for X?" AI explains. Saves time on syntax and setup.

What Stays Human

• Engagement scope. What's in scope? What's off-limits? AI doesn't know the contract.
• Adaptation. The target doesn't behave like the textbook. You pivot. AI suggests; you decide the new direction.
• Novel exploitation. Chaining three low-severity issues into a critical. AI might miss the combination. You see it.
• Social engineering. Phishing, pretexting. AI can draft. Execution and read-the-room are human.
• Client communication. Deliverables, findings, remediation guidance. AI drafts; you own the relationship.

How to Use AI in Engagements

Prep: Use AI for recon ideas and tool setup. Don't rely on it for scope or rules of engagement.

Execution: Use AI for payload variants and quick research. When stuck, ask "what else could I try?"—but validate everything.

Reporting: Use AI to structure and draft. Always fact-check. Clients will blame you, not the bot.

Do This Next

1. Run one engagement with AI as a copilot. Document: what did it suggest that worked? What did it miss that you found manually? Refine your workflow.
2. Build a prompt library for common pentest tasks: recon, payload gen, report structure. Reuse and iterate. Your prompts become your edge.