Study says AI adoption could increase security risks for local businesses

SINGAPORE: A recent report by NetApp has revealed that 78% of tech and data executives in Singapore believe that the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) has heightened security risks for their businesses.

This remains a growing concern as organizations embrace AI-driven technologies to remain competitive.

The findings highlight that 85% of businesses in Singapore have either fully or mostly optimized their data to make AI initiatives effective or provide a competitive edge.

However, as AI adoption accelerates, businesses grapple with increasingly complex security challenges. Notably, the report found that executives at the forefront of AI adoption face far more security risks than those lagging.

Globally, Singapore’s AI-related security concerns align closely with those of other advanced markets. Within the Asia-Pacific region, India follows closely behind, with 72% of executives reporting increased security risks, while Japan recorded 68%.

On a global scale, the United States leads, with 82% of tech leaders identifying AI as a security risk, followed closely by Australia and New Zealand at 81%.

In contrast, European nations with slower AI adoption, such as Germany, France, and Spain, reported significantly lower levels of concern.

Only 40% to 42% of tech executives in these countries cited increased security risks, reflecting the correlation between AI deployment levels and associated challenges.

The report also highlighted data infrastructure as a key focus area, with 49% of tech executives prioritizing investments in data management and infrastructure to support their AI initiatives.

This focus reflects the growing need to balance AI-driven innovation with robust security frameworks.

NetApp’s findings are based on a survey of 1,300 technology and data executives across nine major markets, including the United States, the EMEA region (comprising the UK, France, Germany, and Spain), and the Asia-Pacific (Australia/New Zealand, India, Singapore, and Japan).

As AI continues to shape the business landscape, organizations in Singapore and beyond face the challenge of navigating its security implications while capitalizing on its transformative potential.