Trend Micro today published a new study showing that more and more organizations are embracing AI to strengthen their cybersecurity. At the same time, concerns are growing that AI technology will create more attack surfaces and expose organizations to new cyber threats.

The survey shows that 91 percent of Swedish companies are using AI-powered tools as part of their cybersecurity strategy and another 7 percent are exploring their potential uses. 99 percent of respondents are positive about AI implementation. In addition, almost half (45 percent) say that implementing automated or AI-powered tools is a top priority in their company's cybersecurity efforts in the next 12 months.

But this optimism has a downside. A full 98 percent of respondents believe that AI will have a negative impact on their organization’s cyber threats over the next three to five years. Just over 6 in 10 (64 percent) expect a greater number and more complex AI-driven attacks, requiring them to rethink and update their security strategies from the ground up.

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– AI has enormous potential and is already a crucial part of strengthening cyber defense for many, such as identifying anomalies more quickly or automating time-consuming tasks, says Martin Fribrock, Head of Sweden at Trend Micro. But attackers are just as quick to exploit AI for their own purposes, creating a rapidly evolving threat landscape. Our research and real-world testing clearly show that security must be built into AI systems from the start. There is simply too much at stake not to include security in the planning from day one.

As AI becomes more integrated into enterprise IT environments, Trend Micro urges security leaders to proactively assess the expanding threat landscape and take security measures at every stage of AI implementation.