Lionel Sujay Vailshery
Research expert covering cloud computing and emerging tech industries
Artificial intelligence (AI) in cybersecurity - statistics & facts
In an era marked by increasingly frequent and harmful cyberattacks, artificial intelligence (AI) adds an extra layer of complexity to an already entropic environment, for better or worse. While the recent debate revolves mostly around the security concerns and challenges posed by AI, the technology also offers the cybersecurity sector innovative ways to defend against hostile actors. As a result, the market for AI in cybersecurity is expected to show considerable growth in the coming years, from over 30 billion U.S. dollars in 2024, to roughly 134 billion U.S. dollars by 2030.
Many benefits and challenges ahead
AI refers to the ability of a computer or machine to mimic the competencies of the human mind, which often learns from previous experiences to understand and respond to language, decisions, and complex problems. In 2024, over two-thirds of IT and security professionals worldwide had already tested AI capabilities for security, while 27 percent were planning to do so. The main use cases of AI for cybersecurity include monitoring network traffic, generating defense tests, and predicting future breaches. When incorporated into cybersecurity operations, AI is expected to supplement skills and knowledge gaps, accelerate threat detection, and improve productivity. Nevertheless, the integration of AI into cybersecurity processes is not without risks as AI, particularly generative AI, can be used to advance adversarial capabilities, such as phishing, malware development, and deepfakes.Generative AI is everywhere
As a phenomenon that has taken the internet by storm, generative AI falls under the broad category of machine learning, and refers to programs and algorithms that use deep learning to create various forms of content per the command of the user. The most well-known generative AI program is still ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, although several competitors are now catching up. Initially used for artistic and creative processes, generative AI is increasingly being implemented for additional business functions, including cybersecurity. Generative AI-powered security solutions can search through vast amounts of data to identify abnormal behavior and detect malicious activity, thus offering greater speed, accuracy, and cost-effectiveness. However, the other side of the coin must be considered, as generative AI can also be advantageous for hostile actors. As a result, the emergence of generative AI constituted the main driver for cybersecurity actions in 2024. Looking forward, companies will have to adapt and stay up to speed so that generative AI does not end up providing overall cyber advantage to attackers.
