Artificial intelligence is shifting from a toy to an everyday work tool, but as its use grows, so do security risks. The talk presented why AI is accelerating, what threats it brings, and which two key approaches we need for its safe deployment. This isn’t about slowing innovation, but about sensible rules and protection where it makes sense.
New threats: from "shadow AI" to the dark web
Generative tools typically refuse harmful instructions, but on the dark web, applications are emerging that lack such safeguards. That raises the stakes for attacks, whether it’s fraud, phishing, or automated exploitation of vulnerabilities. The risks affect not only attackers, but also ordinary teams – AI responses can contain malicious content and manipulations that are not immediately obvious.
Companies are also grappling with "shadow AI" – the unofficial use of tools without oversight. Every question posed to a public model can inadvertently hand over sensitive information. That’s why it’s important to implement AI‑DLP protections, restrict what may be shared, and transparently inform users about safe practices. The goal is not to block creativity, but to protect what matters.
Two pillars of AI security
The first pillar protects the user when working with generative applications: access control, inspection of prompts and outputs, and fine-grained regulation of which tools may be used. The second pillar is AI runtime security – protecting the models and applications running within the organization, at the network, API, and cloud operations levels. Together they form a framework that enables innovation without unnecessary risk.
The speaker reminded us that a broader, platform approach makes sense: network, cloud, and application security, zero‑trust principles, and especially automation in SecOps help handle the volume of data. Incident response and proactive assessments also play a role in preparing for crisis situations. Those who combine AI productivity with rigorous protection will gain a competitive advantage without compromising security.
