Artificial Intelligence – Security Friend or Foe?

The annual cost of cybercrime is estimated to rise to $6 trillion by 2021.[1] Artificial intelligence (AI), frequently mentioned for its potential to accelerate innovation, boost performance and improve decision-making, is already being applied to defend against cybercrime. Because AI works well with functions that use massive amounts of data and require analysis and judgment, integrating AI-based cybersecurity technology with other defenses is a natural choice for cybersecurity professionals. Today, AI is used more extensively in cybersecurity than in any other function, with 75% of companies using AI technology to detect and ward off cyberthreats, according to the results of a recent global executive survey on AI conducted by Protiviti. Cybersecurity usage of AI is expected to grow nearly 20% by 2021.[2] AI's significant and compelling benefits come with new risks that need to be managed.