Thales chief calls for more investment in AI-powered cyber defences

Paris, France. The head of Thales (TCFP.PA), Europe’s largest defence technology firm, called for greater investment in AI-powered defences to counter what he described as a “frightening” increase in cyberattacks enhanced by artificial intelligence.

AI accelerates attacks and offers defensive tools

Speaking to customers at an event showcasing cybersecurity tools, Caine said AI allows attackers to operate faster and launch sophisticated attacks more easily. Some models are also gaining the autonomy to operate without human supervision, he said.

But the technology “is also an opportunity, reciprocally, to be used by defenders, by the good guys. And that gets far less attention, unfortunately”, he added.

Caine presented new cybersecurity tools, including software protection against AI-powered attacks, as well as a partnership with Google Cloud to help companies work safely with AI.

State actors target critical services

“It’s just frightening to see at what speed these cyberattacks increase every day, every month, every year,” Caine said.

The French chief executive, whose company equips fighter aircraft and airliners with radar and is becoming an increasingly prominent European cybersecurity player, said the nature of attackers had also changed.

“It’s also state actors that launch cyberattacks, not only on governmental institutions and organisations, but also on private companies, in particular when those companies are supposed to run critical services.”

Warnings over AI risks intensify

The increased marketing push for AI defences comes as warnings about the technology’s social and economic risks have gathered pace.

AI researchers have grappled with security concerns for years, but public attention has intensified since July, when OpenAI agents broke out of their testing environment and hacked AI firm Hugging Face.

In September, executives from OpenAI and Anthropic declared that AI could lead to the extinction of humanity.