The cloud computing industry’s growth has led to ample opportunities and challenges. At this week’s RSA Conference in San Francisco, the focus remained on generative artificial intelligence, with some uncertainty about its involvement in recent hacks.

The technology will likely become increasingly relevant as it develops further, but these tools still need a lot of work, according to Sarbjeet Johal (pictured), founder and chief executive officer of Stackpane.

“I am learning that the ChatGPT-like models are not very good with relational databases,” he said. “They are good with the conversational text … and images and audio.”

AI tools have a good start, however, as organizations such as the University of Toronto and Google Research has been working with the technology for decades, Johal added. “AI is not new thing. Amazon has been using AI to throw products at us for almost two decades,” he said.

Johal spoke with theCUBE industry analysts John Furrier and Dave Vellante at the RSA Conference, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed the role of generative AI in cybersecurity and the future landscape of the industry. (* Disclosure below.)

The future of cybersecurity funding and innovation

With funding for growth capital decreasing, particularly for Series C rounds, will investment in cybersecurity companies shift toward AI and other areas? The funding landscape will change, according to Johal, but startups in cybersecurity will still have access to seed capital.

AI is also poised to play a significant role in the future of cybersecurity, either as a supplier or as a technology to refactor existing solutions. As some companies risk losing ground due to technological advancements, others will use AI to stay ahead of the curve. Vendor consolidation and acquisition in the cybersecurity space is inevitable, though, as some companies fail to adapt to industry shifts.

“If you’re still singing the same song that you sang five years back, then you’re dead,” Johal said. “You have to move with the time. Even if you don’t have the products in that bucket yet, you have to show the market that we are working on it or we have this point of view about AI, ML, all sorts of intelligence.”

As the industry evolves, merger and acquisition activity is expected to increase, with a focus on companies that are solving new challenges. Startups with innovative solutions will be hot targets for larger players looking to maintain their market position.

“There’s going to be a handful of these vendors out there that won’t be around a couple years,” Johal said. “I think the big players cannot be taken down because they’re part of the ecosystem. The medium-sized, like second-tier players, they are in danger.”

Cloud technology can’t be ignored when discussing the future of cybersecurity. Microsoft and Google Cloud reported impressive growth, signaling a strong trend toward cloud-based solutions in the security industry, according to Johal. And as more companies turn to cloud technology, cybersecurity providers must adapt to stay relevant and competitive.

Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of the RSA Conference:

(* Disclosure: This is an unsponsored editorial segment. However, theCUBE is a paid media partner for the RSA Conference. Sponsors of theCUBE’s event coverage do not have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE