Rapid7 has released new research conducted by Omdia revealing that while AI has earned widespread trust inside security operations centers (SOCs), executive security leaders are significantly more concerned than frontline practitioners about how AI is governed.
The global survey of 500 security professionals found executive security leaders are 1.6 times more likely than operational security managers to report being highly concerned about how AI vendors handle their organization’s security data. The findings also suggest AI has crossed the operational adoption threshold, with attention now shifting toward transparency, accountability and governance.
Among organizations already using AI in production, nearly all respondents report positive operational results, reinforcing that AI has become a core component of modern security operations rather than an emerging technology.
Key Findings
- 97 percent of leaders report AI is having a positive impact on security operations, while 98 percent of organizations already using AI say it helps reduce alert fatigue.
- 92 percent agree human oversight remains essential, underscoring that organizations view AI as augmenting, not replacing, security analysts.
- 86 percent believe managed detection and response (MDR) providers that integrate AI offer an advantage over traditional MDR services.
“The conversation has changed,” said Dejan Decklich, chief product and technology officer at Rapid7. “Security teams are no longer asking whether AI belongs in the SOC; they’re asking how to govern it responsibly. Organizations want AI that helps analysts move faster and work more effectively, but they also expect transparency, accountability, and human expertise to remain central to security operations.”
The research shows AI has become firmly embedded in day-to-day security operations. Organizations report AI is helping reduce alert fatigue, automate repetitive work, and improve analyst productivity — evidence that AI has moved from experimentation into operational deployment. Now, rather than debating whether AI delivers value, security teams are increasingly focused on how to deploy it responsibly and effectively.
The full report is available here.
