AI, automation, and the future of threat intelligence
Ray Kurzweil, a notable futurist says that “Our technology, our machines are part of our humanity. We create them to extend ourselves and that is what is unique about human beings”, implying that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is also an extension of human, created to assist simplify works.
This quote set the stage for an in-depth discussion on the revolutionary role of AI and automation in bolstering threat intelligence when I had the privilege of joining an esteemed panel at the Labadi Beach Hotel, Accra – Ghana as part of the CISO Summit 2025. The topic was “AI, Automation and the Future of Threat Intelligence”, and by extension the future of the workplace.
Among others, the session explored how these tools are reshaping cybersecurity paradigms by bridging the gap between human ingenuity and data-driven precision.
Less than a century old, artificial intelligence (AI) has already undergone three waves of transformative development. Today it gives humanity the most powerful tools for analysing complex data, not only to find meaning but to learn without human intervention. Clearly, AI is now acting and thinking like humans (but not yet human).
Evidently, AI has moved from experimental to essential, and permeating every area of our lives, including threat intelligence and cybersecurity in general. AI and automation are helping us develop the ability to correlate tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) that enable quicker identification of threat actors and simulate attack scenarios. Also, aid in developing defense strategies based on potential, current and future threat landscape, and attributing attacks through behavioral analytics and data comparisons, which significantly improves understanding of adversarial methods.
However, it is critical for the developing world to initiate steps toward domesticating AI by gradually developing our own use cases considering linguistics and peculiar practices. This will facilitate better appreciation and the potential of the tool. We need to simplify, invest and urgently start building capacity at both the individual and corporate levels.
Some key benefits of AI and automation in threat intelligence include but not limited to:
• Speed: AI and automation can respond to threats much faster than manual intervention, reducing the window of opportunity for attackers.
• Efficiency: automated systems can handle repetitive tasks such as patch management, log analysis, and vulnerability scanning without fatigue.
• Consistency: AI and automation ensure that responses follow a consistent process, reducing human error.
While speed, efficiency and consistency are desirable, it’s important to understand that AI and automation are not always perfect and can be prone to errors, especially when the data is not trained based on the expected outputs. As we dive headfirst into this uncharted territory, we need to keep our eyes wide open. It is not just about the potential benefits and drawbacks, but also about how AI is going to continue to mold and reshape the workplace in ways we might not even imagine.
It is therefore critical to look beyond excitement (sometimes the anxieties) and rather focus on becoming more conversant with the governing rules, ethical issues and the associated legal framework with data and AI. And where there is little or none existing, we must initiate steps towards their development. We must at all time balance safety and morality against speed and innovation. Machines could do a great deal, but what should they do is the question we need to continue addressing?
Obviously, there is also the thorny issue of whether humanity is under threat, especially with the concerns that AI could lead to significant job displacement across various sectors, impacting individuals and economies.
What readily comes to mind in response to the above sentiment is the second part of Ray Kurzweil statement “… we create them to extend ourselves and that is what is unique about human beings”. I believe the world will just get better if we nurture and collaborate with machines and technology to solve problems.
Ultimately, AI will be our thought partner, not a replacement.
Let’s keep the debate running… cheers.
The writer is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Prudential Bank
BY LEOPOLD ARMAH
