Federal Agencies Speed Agentic AI Adoption Despite Trust and Security Gaps
Event summary
- 58% of federal IT and cybersecurity decision makers report their agencies have already deployed or are piloting AI agents.
- Only 28% express high confidence in their ability to deploy these systems securely.
- 79% of respondents are “very” or “extremely concerned” about adversaries using AI to accelerate cyberattacks over the next 12–18 months.
- 36% of federal cyber and IT leaders are confident that cyber defenses can keep pace with AI-enabled attackers.
The big picture
Federal agencies are rapidly adopting agentic AI systems, but significant trust and security gaps persist. This trend highlights the broader challenge of balancing operational advantages with cybersecurity risks in an era where AI is both a tool and a potential threat vector. The survey underscores the need for robust governance frameworks to ensure secure and accountable AI deployments.
What we're watching
- Security Gaps
- How federal agencies will address the gap between AI adoption and secure deployment.
- Cyber Defense Pace
- Whether cyber defenses can keep pace with AI-enabled attackers.
- Accountability Frameworks
- The development of clear accountability frameworks for AI-driven security incidents.