Cybersecurity In The Era Of Generative And Agentic AI: Six Observations

Last week, I had the privilege to attend one of the Midwest's largest artificial intelligence conferences dedicated to AI developers, users, and enthusiasts: Cincy AI Week. During the three-day event, which brought together over 950 local professionals, I spoke on a panel entitled "Managing Risk in the Age of AI and Automation."

Here are six important observations I shared during that panel:

1. Organizations needs to shift risk posture from reactive to proactive.

AI technologies are increasingly influencing decision-making, data handling, and customer interactions. Accordingly, legal risks – from security incidents and data breaches to algorithmic bias – are no longer hypothetical, but imminent. Organizations must embed legal and ethical oversight into each stage of AI development and deployment, rather than addressing issues only after they arise. This means engaging legal counsel early, implementing clear accountability frameworks (see below), and ensuring