Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the cybersecurity landscape, and CrowdStrike Holdings (CRWD) believes the threat is no longer theoretical. CEO George Kurtz recently described the situation as the “genie’s out of the bottle,” underscoring that AI capabilities are now widely available and can be exploited by attackers. CrowdStrike’s 2026 Global Threat Report found that AI-enabled adversary activity surged 89% year-over-year, while the company has also observed attacks moving at machine speed.
Kurtz said AI agents should be secured like privileged users, with strict permissions, temporary credentials, and emergency shutdown capabilities, while humans retain control over critical decisions. He also urged AI companies such as Anthropic and OpenAI to work more closely with cybersecurity firms and independent evaluators to address emerging AI-related threats.