In corporate boardrooms around the world, a fascinating drama is unfolding. On one side, CEOs are rushing to embrace artificial intelligence, viewing it as the golden key to future profits. On the other side, Chief Information Security Officers are waving red flags, warning that the AI revolution could become a cybersecurity nightmare.
New research from NTT DATA reveals just how wide this gap has become, with business leaders and security chiefs operating in almost parallel universes when it comes to AI adoption.
CEOs Betting Big on AI Revolution
Business leaders are placing massive bets on artificial intelligence, with 89% of CEOs identifying AI as the top technology needed to stay competitive. Nearly all organizations (99%) plan to continue investing in generative AI through 2026.
AI is revolutionizing industries from healthcare—where it analyzes medical data to predict patient outcomes—to manufacturing, where it streamlines production. Financial services use AI for fraud detection and intelligent customer service.
Security Chiefs Sound the Alarm
However, Chief Information Security Officers are pumping the brakes. While 94% of business leaders plan to increase security spending due to AI adoption, 88% of organizations express serious concerns about AI-related security risks.
The disconnect is stark: only 38% of CISOs agree their organization’s AI and cybersecurity strategies are correctly aligned, compared to 51% of CEOs. Nearly half (45%) of security chiefs feel “pressured, threatened, or overwhelmed” by AI adoption—a sentiment shared by only 19% of other executives.
The Growing Threat Landscape
Security experts have good reason for concern. Cybercriminals are leveraging AI to craft sophisticated phishing emails and automate the discovery of software vulnerabilities. AI systems face unique threats, including adversarial attacks that manipulate input data, data poisoning that corrupts training information, and algorithmic bias that undermines system reliability.
Only 44% of executives believe their organizations can manage privacy risks from data poisoning attacks.
The Skills Gap Challenge
Adding to security leaders’ concerns, 69% admit their teams lack the skills to work with rapidly evolving AI technology. Meanwhile, 72% of organizations still lack formal policies for AI usage, and 82% find government AI regulations unclear.
Finding the Balance
Security experts recommend enhancing AI visibility across organizations, developing comprehensive security policies, embedding security by design, prioritizing data protection, conducting rigorous testing, and maintaining continuous monitoring.
The challenge ahead is clear—organizations must harness AI’s transformative power while building robust defenses against emerging risks. Success requires bridging the gap between innovation-focused executives and security-minded Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs).
