AI and Cyber: Balancing Risks and Rewards
Developing guidance for adopting AI in a secure way
In partnership with the World Economic Forum Centre for Cybersecurity, the Centre is working to develop actionable guidance to help organisational leaders adopt AI technologies in a secure manner.
Context:
The cyber threat landscape is evolving with rapid technological advancements: As organisations are seeking to explore AI technologies to leverage its benefits, their attack surface is increasing as a result.
There has been a wide and clear request to deep dive into AI-related cybersecurity risks: In 2023, constituents engaged in the World Economic Forum Centre for Cybersecurity have raised the need to deep dive into the cybersecurity implications related to AI technologies.
The security implications of AI are central to the Forum's AI Governance Alliance work: Security-related issues are an important consideration in the agenda of the AI Governance Alliance (AIGA); led by the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR).
Overview:
The initiative is convening a global multi-stakeholder community of senior executives across the cybersecurity and AI fields to develop actionable guidance to help leaders adopt AI technologies in a secure manner. Recommendations will be validated across select industry communities and regions.
| Scope | Focus |
| Core cybersecurity issues with AI technology | Foster multistakeholder dialogues and community interaction to develop shared knowledge. |
| Risks to organisations introduced by AI technologies | Raise awareness on the cyber risks stemming from the use of generative AI technologies. |
| Continuous evolution in the digital environment | Validate the recommendations across select industry communities and regions. |
Objectives:
- Identify the key cyber-risk scenarios that AI adoption and use by attackers poses to industry.
- Develop knowledge that supports organisations in understanding the key cyber risks and opportunities that AI brings to them.
- Share best practices to help organisations mitigate these risks.
Publications:
Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity: Balancing Risks and Rewards
January 2025
Adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) is accelerating across the economy as organisations seek to harness its potential rewards. However, historically insufficient attention has been given to the potential cybersecurity risks of AI adoption and use. This report highlights the steps that need to betaken to ensure that cybersecurity is fully embedded within the AI adoption life cycle.
Amid a business landscape that is increasingly focused on responsible innovation, this report offers a clear executive perspective on managing AI-related cyber risks. It empowers leaders to invest and innovate in AI with confidence, and exploit emerging opportunities for growth. To unlock full potential, it is essential to develop a comprehensive understanding of these cyber risks and related mitigation measures.
Throughout the report, we explore a central question: How can organisations reap the benefits of AI adoption while mitigating the associated cybersecurity risks?
Accenture
Allianz SE
Aramco
At-Bay Inc
AtkinsRéalis Group Inc.
AVEVA Group
Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd
BlackRock
Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
Burjeel Holdings
Cyber Defence Alliance
Cyber Threat Alliance
CyberPeace Institute
Deloitte
DNV
Dragos
Dubai Electronic Security Center (DESC)
EDP
European Investment Bank
EY
Fortinet
FTI Consulting
Global Resilience Federation
Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation
HCL Technologies LTD
Hero Group
Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Hubble Technology
IBM
Institute for Security and Technology
KPMG
Lenovo
London Stock Exchage Group (LSEG)
Manpower Group Inc.
Marsh McLennan
Mattermost
Mercuria Energy Group Holding SA
Metabase Q, Inc.
Microsoft Corp.
Mubadala INvestment
Mundys
NEOM
New York University, Abu Dhabi
Nord Security
OccamSec
Palo Alto Networks
Panaseer
PayPal
PensionDanmark
PETRONAS (Petroliam Nasional Bhd)
PQShield
PwC
Repsol SA
Royal Holloway, University of London
Safe Security
Salesforce
Saudi Information Technology Company (SITE)
Saudi Telecom Company (STC)
Securonix
Siemens
Splunk a Cisco Company
Swiss Reinsurance Company Ltd
Telefónica SA
Trafigura Group
Trellix
Vaultree
Zscaler
Zurich Insurance Group
