WEF maps path to AI-driven cybersecurity, calls for structured deployment, continuous monitoring, human control
Publish Date: 2026-05-06 05:18:00
Source Domain: industrialcyber.co
The World Economic Forum, in collaboration with KPMG, published a report on how AI (artificial intelligence) is reshaping cyber defence while stressing that its full value depends on strategic deployment, strong governance and human oversight. Titled ‘Empowering Defenders: AI for Cybersecurity,’ the paper lays out key questions facing executives and chief information security officers, offering an early view of the promise and the risks tied to agentic AI. It argues that organisations should anchor AI adoption in enterprise strategy, ensure readiness across processes, data, infrastructure, skills and governance, rigorously test solutions through structured pilots, and continuously scale, monitor and refine performance as deployments mature.
“This white paper examines the application of AI technologies across the cybersecurity life cycle, drawing on real-world examples from World Economic Forum partner organizations,” Akshay Joshi, head of the Centre for Cybersecurity and member of the executive committee of the WEF, and Laurent Gobbi, partner and global head of cyber and tech risk at KPMG, wrote in the paper. “It outlines the strategic considerations and practical steps that executives and chief information security officers (CISOs) must undertake to enable the effective adoption and deployment of AI in cybersecurity.”
They added, “Success will depend on key foundational elements, including strong executive support, high-quality data, a skilled workforce and integrated infrastructure. As automation becomes increasingly prevalent, preserving human judgement and expertise remains essential to mitigate potential systemic fragility.”
WEF noted that with 77% of organizations using AI in cybersecurity, adoption tracks closely with size and resources. Larger enterprises, backed by stronger technical maturity and investment capacity, lead deployment, while smaller organizations, governments, and NGOs lag due to funding constraints,…
