When it comes to making cybersecurity decisions, 99 percent of organizations say AI capabilities will influence their security purchases or renewals in the next year, with nearly four in 10 budgets already tied to AI-powered solutions. Further, 73 percent of organizations have already integrated AI into their cybersecurity posture, according to “Navigating the Human-AI Relationship for Security Operations Success,” a new report published by security operations provider Arctic Wolf.
Of those organizations that have already integrated AI with cybersecurity, 82 percent are U.S.-based, and 82 percent are within the financial services industry. Meanwhile, more risk-averse sectors like utilities (59 percent) and regions such as the Nordics (59 percent) are moving more cautiously, according to the report.
The study, conducted in partnership with Sapio Research, surveyed about 2,000 IT and security decision-makers worldwide.
With security teams taxed by thousands of alerts and burdened by limited staff and resources, AI has “become a decisive factor in cybersecurity investment strategies,” Arctic Wolf officials said. “Organizations are looking to AI not just as a tool, but as a partner in security operations, leveraging advanced threat detection to identify malicious activity faster, large language model assistants to guide investigations and provide context, and AI-powered workflows to automate repetitive tasks.”
The study also indicated that 73 percent of organizations intend to use AI for 24/7 security operations automation, 72 percent for threat prediction and prevention, and 70 percent to boost detection capabilities.
Among roadblocks, 33 percent cite data privacy as their top challenge to AI adoption, followed by cost (30 percent) and lack of fully meeting an organization’s need (28 percent).
“Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming a cornerstone of modern cybersecurity, but it benefits from human expertise to be truly effective,” said Dan Schiappa, president of technology and services at Arctic Wolf. “The insights from this report give leaders the data they need to make smart, targeted investments, deploying AI where it can deliver measurable outcomes, cut through alert noise, and help security teams work with greater speed, accuracy and confidence.”
The full report can be downloaded for free from the Arctic Wolf website.
