AI adoption in security taking off amid budget, trust, and skill-based issues

While the application of AI has picked up in cybersecurity, large-scale adoption still suffers from a lack of expertise, budget, and trust, according to a MixMode report.

The report, commissioned through the Ponemon Institute, surveyed 641 IT and security practitioners in the US to understand the state of AI in cybersecurity and found the adoption is still at an early stage.

“All respondents are involved in detecting and responding to potentially malicious content or threats targeting their organization’s information systems or IT security infrastructure and responsibility,” MixMode said in the report. “They also have some level of responsibility for evaluating and/or selecting AI-based cybersecurity tools and vendors.”

More than half (52%) of the respondents in the survey worked at or above the supervisory levels, with a considerable overall coming from the financial services (18%), industrial and manufacturing (12%), and retail (9%) segments.

Early adoption for stronger defensive

The survey placed AI adoption in cybersecurity at an early stage as 52% of respondents believed so, with only 18% saying their AI tools and practices are at full maturity.

Defensive AI emerged as a critical AI use, with 58% of respondents saying their organizations are investing in AI to stop AI-based attacks. Overall, 69% believe defensive AI is essential for blocking “targeted attacks at unprecedented speed and scale” as they escape traditional, rule-based detection.