Artificial intelligence is redefining the cybersecurity landscape as AI cybersecurity tools rapidly shift the balance between defenders and adversaries, introducing new risks even as they bolster digital defenses.

In a world where cyberattacks are growing more sophisticated by the day, the dual role of AI — empowering both security teams and threat actors — is forcing organizations to rethink traditional strategies. As automation accelerates, human expertise remains a vital anchor amid rising complexity, chaotic innovation cycles and the increasing weaponization of AI across the threat landscape, according to Jon Oltsik (pictured, left), principal analyst, cybersecurity, at theCUBE Research.

TheCUBE’s Dave Vellante and John Furrier discuss AI cybersecurity tools.

“AI can watch your behavior and say, ‘You know, here’s a feature that you need,’ or ‘I’m going to self-tune a firewall, for example, based on your traffic,’” Oltsik said. “That’s a real-time AI advantage that we’ll get. It’s not pie in the sky. This is happening now.”

Oltsik spoke with fellow analysts Dave Vellante (second from right) and John Furrier (right) at the RSAC 2025 Conference, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed how AI and AI cybersecurity tools are transforming defense strategies, increasing risks and reshaping enterprise security priorities. (* Disclosure below.)

The evolving role of AI cybersecurity tools

AI is seen as both an opportunity and a challenge in modern cybersecurity, offering real-time advantages while introducing fresh vulnerabilities. Experts argued that while AI enables faster, more proactive defense strategies, the human element will remain indispensable for critical thinking and fine-tuned judgment in this increasingly automated era, according to Furrier.

“I think the human intelligence aspect in the short term and midterm will be the key,” he explained. “Because like that … well-documented body of work in the chess community around the role of the computer to the human, to play better against the computer or against the best, I think there’s going to be a surge of that kind of craft and that’s going to come from skill. I think the human in the loop will be a very key skill.”

Many practitioners echoed the sentiment that platform consolidation is gaining traction but cautioned that no single solution could fully address the complexity of modern enterprise environments. Large organizations, especially those with sprawling legacy systems, will likely continue relying on a mix of solutions tailored to their specific risk management priorities, Oltsik explained.

“Platforms make a lot of sense until you get to the largest enterprises who have one of everything,” he added. “They are not going to rip and replace what they have. They have budget issues where budgets are spread all over the place and the platform guys will never catch up to the speed of hybrid IT.”

At the same time, a philosophical shift is underway as companies reassess what they are truly optimizing for — be it time-to-market, security efficacy or operational efficiency. Vendors at RSAC 2025 are being judged not only by their technology but also by their ability to integrate culturally, build meaningful community ties and deliver measurable security outcomes, according to Vellante.

“From the end customer’s perspective, that’s a philosophical decision to optimize,” he said. “You’re talking about what are they optimized for. They’re optimizing for time to market, time to value, with applications and revenue generation over security.”

Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of the RSAC 2025 Conference event:

(* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for the RSAC 2025 Conference. The sponsors of theCUBE’s event coverage do not have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE