Making AI work for cyber defenders: A strategy for strengthening U.S. cybersecurity

U.S. and international service members participate in classroom instruction during Cyber Shield 2026 at the Professional Education Center in Little Rock, Ark., July 13, 2026. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Brooke Kentler/Released)

By Carol Kuntz and Lauryn Williams • Jul 17, 2026

The clock is ticking. Frontier artificial intelligence (AI) models with remarkable cyber capabilities have emerged, leaving little time to address weaknesses in U.S. cyber defenses. It is difficult to estimate how quickly strategic competitors—particularly China—will develop similar models, but most assessments suggest that China either already has these capabilities or will develop them in slightly less than a year.

A new CSIS report examines the implications of new frontier models for cybersecurity and outlines two key areas where critical defensive measures must be swiftly undertaken.

The central thesis of the report is that, with sufficient coordination and action, AI can transform U.S. cyber defenses by giving defenders a variety of new tools, including the ability to move at machine speed to detect and evaluate vulnerabilities and attacks, remediate and recover in response, and harden system security. Like other technological advances with the potential to strengthen cybersecurity, AI will not automatically bolster defenders. This progress will occur only if the United States—including the U.S. government at all levels, the private sector, and important nonprofit actors—rapidly and deliberately take steps to enable the widespread, safe deployment of these tools.