How AI is changing the cybersecurity battlefield

On the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, GZERO Media’s Tony Maciulis sits down with Hayete Gallot, Executive Vice President of Security at Microsoft, to discuss how artificial intelligence is transforming cybersecurity, and why traditional defenses must evolve to keep pace.

Gallot says AI is “completely changing the physics of cyber.” Unlike humans, AI agents can operate around the clock, at enormous scale, and at speeds that make real-time monitoring and response increasingly critical. That creates new challenges inside organizations, where autonomous agents must be monitored and contained, as well as outside them, where attackers are already using AI to conduct autonomous cyber campaigns.

The answer, Gallot argues, is increasingly to fight AI with AI. She discusses how AI-powered defenses can identify vulnerabilities, monitor agents, and respond to threats at machine speed, while also explaining where human oversight remains essential. For governments, businesses, and organizations adapting to this new environment, she says the fundamentals still matter: strong identity systems, software security, network isolation, and the ability to observe what AI agents are doing.

This conversation is part of GZERO Media’s Global Stage series, bringing together leaders and experts to discuss the major issues shaping our world.