This study examined AI and SE transdisciplinarity to find ways of aligning them to enable the development of AI-SE transdisciplinary theory. A literature review and analysis method were used. The findings are AI and SE transdisciplinarity is tacit with islands within and between them that can be linked to accelerating their transdisciplinary orientation by codification, internally developing, and externally borrowing and adapting transdisciplinary theories. Lack of theory has been identified as the major barrier to maturing the two disciplines as engineering disciplines. Creating AI and SE transdisciplinary theory would contribute to maturing AI and SE engineering disciplines. Implications of the study are transdisciplinary theory can support mode 2 and 3 AI and SE innovations; provide an alternative for maturing two disciplines as engineering disciplines. Study’s originality it’s first in SE, AI, or their intersections.