Report: AI-based security among top budget priorities

The PwC 2026 Global Digital Trust Insights Survey revealed that many organizations are increasingly prioritizing artificial intelligence in their cybersecurity budgets over the coming year, Infosecurity Magazine reports.

Findings showed that 36% of business and tech executives ranked AI as one of their top three budget priorities, placing it ahead of cloud security, network security and zero trust, data protection, and threat management, and 48% of security leaders reported AI's threat hunting capabilities as the top priority, followed by AI solutions aimed at boosting efficiency in cloud security operations.

Roughly a third of respondents emphasized other AI applications such as vulnerability scanning, event detection, identity management, and behavioral analytics. Budget pressures are also shaping strategies, as 78% of organizations expect their cyber budgets to grow over the next year, while only 6% feel fully capable of defending against potential cyberattacks.

Limited knowledge and a lack of expertise in AI also hinder wider adoption. Quantum computing also emerged as a key concern, with preparedness lagging across the board.