From Copilot to agent – AI is growing up, and CISOs need to be ready

Now, agentic AI has stepped into the spotlight. More autonomous and adaptive than its predecessors, this next-gen approach can take on more complex security tasks, anticipate emerging threats, and dynamically adjust defenses in real-time. This class of advanced AI systems is designed to operate autonomously, making decisions and taking actions to reach specific goals with little to no human monitoring. The big difference is that agentic AI uses advanced reasoning, adaptability, and learning capabilities to independently navigate complex tasks rather than relying on existing AI’s human approval and guidance to make decisions.

It’s an astonishing step ahead, combining the power of large language models (LLMs) and real-time data processing to act as a proactive “agent” in dynamic environments without human intervention. But questions linger. Will the AI take over entire processes? And if so, could the lack of a human in the loop cause unexpected issues? For example, might an agentic AI stop or block a legitimate business transaction because the agent thinks it’s fraud? Alternatively, could the agent accidentally create a vulnerability that can be exploited?

Understanding the potential of agentic AI

For CISOs, agentic AI represents both a transformative opportunity and a strategic shift. As cyber threats grow in speed and sophistication, CISOs are pressured to maintain or boost their organizational resilience while managing resource constraints and/or worker burnout. That’s where agentic AI can make its mark – stepping in as a force multiplier, automating decision-making, adapting to evolving threats, and enabling CISOs to evolve from reactive defenders to architects of business-aligned security strategies.