are dlc's active in the game if i dont own them?

[Frangos Fighter]

i dont own the newest dlc, will the lords and units still be used by ai factions just not for me? or do i need to own it for both

[Papa Owl]

All of the DLC content is in the game, regardless of if you own it or not. So the AI will be able to use any new units or Lords added to the game by DLC, you'll just be locked out of it.

[Basarab Laiota]

yes

[SBA77]

Originally posted by Frangos Fighter:

i dont own the newest dlc, will the lords and units still be used by ai factions just not for me?

Yes they will, exactly the previous Total War (at least as far back as Rome II, don't know if Empire's DLCs worked like that too.)

[Pönnukaka]

Originally posted by Frangos Fighter:

i dont own the newest dlc, will the lords and units still be used by ai factions just not for me? or do i need to own it for both

As people confirmed, they are. Not only they are, but their units are as usually stronger and/or overtuned. Especially between first DLC coming out and Nerf Patch that comes out later to tune them down.

Since you don't own them, you can't confederate them (for example if you are playing Cathay as Zhao/Miao you won't be able to confederate Yuan Bo) but if other factions in your race do own them and you confederate them - you will have them. But you can't upgrade them (technology doesn't show upgrades for those units) and if they die, they die forever. So you somehow can use those DLC units without owning DLC, but only after confederating non-major factions if they have them in their standing armies.