AI in cybersecurity is rapidly reshaping the threat landscape, emerging as the biggest driver of change in the field, according to a new World Economic Forum (WEF) report.

According to the findings, 94 percent of cyber leaders identify artificial intelligence as a defining force. Meanwhile, 77 percent of organisations are already using it in their cyber operations.

The report, titled “AI and Cyber: Empowering Defenders,” was developed in collaboration with KPMG. It highlights measurable gains in cost reduction, faster response times and improved resilience.

At the same time, threat actors are increasingly weaponizing AI. They are using it to automate deception, generate malware and scale attacks at machine speed. However, organisations that deploy AI strategically are seeing clear advantages.

For instance, companies that extensively use AI in cybersecurity reduce average breach costs by up to $1.9 million. In addition, they shorten breach lifecycles by approximately 80 days.

“AI has the potential to shift the balance towards defenders,” said Akshay Joshi, Head of the Centre for Cybersecurity at the World Economic Forum. “Organisations that treat it as a strategic capability, rather than a standalone tool, will be better placed to turn growing cyber risk into resilience and competitive advantage.”

Furthermore, the report builds on the Forum’s 2025 publication, “Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity: Balancing Risks and Rewards.” The 2026 edition focuses on how organisations are applying AI in cybersecurity in real-world defence scenarios.

As enterprise attack surfaces continue to expand, organisations now manage hundreds of thousands of internet-facing assets. Consequently, the scale and complexity of cyber risk are increasing significantly.

“Attackers are moving faster and at greater scale than ever before. This report is a call to action for organisations to match that pace, with AI as a force multiplier for cyber defence,” said Laurent Gobbi, Partner and Global Head of Cyber and Tech Risk at KPMG.

Moreover, the report emphasises that AI’s value lies in augmenting human expertise. It also accelerates decision-making and strengthens resilience, rather than relying on automation alone. Therefore, its effectiveness depends on a clear deployment strategy, rigorously tested use cases and strong governance with human oversight from the outset.

The study draws on 20 real-world case studies. In addition, it includes insights from interviews and workshops conducted under the World Economic Forum’s Cyber Frontiers: AI and Cyber initiative. This effort brought together 105 representatives from 84 organisations across 15 industries.

Finally, as cyber risks grow more complex, the report calls on business and government leaders to treat AI in cybersecurity as a foundational capability. It urges continued investment in technology, skills and governance to defend at machine speed.

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