AI is fundamentally changing the economics and speed of cyberattacks. What was once a slow, resource-intensive cat-and-mouse game between attackers and defenders has become an asymmetric race that defenders are rapidly losing.

Generative AI tools now allow even low-skill actors to write adaptive malware, automate sophisticated phishing and espionage campaigns, and exploit known vulnerabilities in record time. The window between a vulnerability being disclosed and actively exploited has collapsed from hundreds of days to as little as 44 days in some cases. Meanwhile, the foundational insecurity of the internet — built on rushed code, reactive patching, and legacy systems — remains largely unchanged.