The first word in AI may stand for "artificial," but the belief in its potential for cybersecurity in government and business circles is very real. In fact, industry sources say efforts to make use of artificial intelligence could drive a more flexible approach to cyber-related regulation, particularly in the finance sector. Former White House cybersecurity coordinator Rob Joyce, now back at the National Security Agency, called AI a "key element" in cybersecurity strategy in a recent speech. "The point about AI being a key element of the future, I think there is so much that AI can do to clean out anomalies, to move the speed of cyber, in setting up those defenses," Joyce said. Makers of financial-technology products are looking into and promoting the possibilities, a topic discussed extensively at the recent Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association "FinTech" conference in New York City.