TrendAI flags rising AI adoption risks as enterprises move faster than security readiness

The rapid integration of AI technologies within enterprises is outpacing their ability to manage associated security risks, according to recent findings from TrendAI. Sharda Tickoo, the Country Manager for India & SAARC at TrendAI, highlights significant deficiencies in governance, visibility, and talent as organizations deepen AI's role in their core operations. A global study commissioned by Trend Micro's enterprise security unit, now rebranded as TrendAI, reveals that businesses are hastily deploying AI solutions despite ongoing concerns regarding security and compliance. The research, conducted by Sapio Research and involving 3,700 participants worldwide—including 200 decision-makers from India—indicates that nearly 80% of Indian respondents have felt compelled to endorse AI projects even amidst security worries. Alarmingly, only 42% of IT leaders and 49% of business managers report feeling adequately prepared to handle the swift pace of AI integration. In an interview with Business Today, Tickoo expressed concern that security considerations are frequently overlooked during the development of AI infrastructures. "The prevalent issue is that security is treated as an afterthought, not integrated into the foundational planning. This oversight leads organizations to implement only basic security measures, only to discover later that they need to revisit and address comprehensive security needs," she stated. The report emphasizes that the rush to implement AI, combined with fragmented governance and unclear responsibilities for managing AI-related risks, is creating significant vulnerabilities. A lack of expertise and fragmented ownership within organizations is allowing AI to be integrated into crucial systems without sufficient safeguards, making it increasingly challenging to address these gaps as systems become more autonomous. Furthermore, the findings disclose that 81% of IT decision-makers and 77% of business leaders believe the pace of AI advancement surpasses their organizations' ability to secure it. This disparity highlights a growing rift between the ambitious goals of enterprises and their oversight capabilities. A major issue identified is the limited visibility across IT environments. Tickoo pointed out, "Currently, organizations struggle with visibility, resulting in numerous blind spots and disjointed solution investments. It's imperative for companies to enhance their understanding of their IT landscape, which will facilitate the consolidation of their security measures." The study also notes that governance maturity is lacking, with organizations facing challenges like fragmented ownership of AI risks, insufficient security and data expertise, and ambiguous regulatory guidelines. Alarmingly, nearly 60% of malicious activities remain undetected, raising risks as enterprises advance towards more autonomous AI systems. The rise of deepfake technology presents another pressing concern. Tickoo emphasized the necessity for organizations to cultivate employee awareness and deploy technological safeguards to address this threat effectively, including training staff to recognize manipulated content and utilizing detection tools. While there is a divided sentiment regarding advanced AI systems—around 50% of respondents see the potential for agentic AI to revolutionize cybersecurity—concerns about data access, misuse, and oversight remain prevalent. Nearly 46% of IT decision-makers expressed worries regarding risks associated with malicious prompts, while 43% of business leaders noted an expanding attack surface as a significant issue. The research also highlights that 51% of IT decision-makers support establishing AI "kill switch" mechanisms to deactivate systems in cases of misuse or failure, although many are uncertain about the implementation. Among business leaders, 48% indicated that the adoption of such measures would depend on the level of autonomy and associated risks. Finally, the shortage of cybersecurity talent in India poses a substantial challenge. Tickoo remarked that the ecosystem is still in its early stages and requires a more skilled workforce to effectively address the security challenges arising from the increasing adoption of AI technologies.