GoKawiilRSAC 2026 conference kicked off with a whirlwind of insights, debates, and predictions about the future of cybersecurity, with a particular focus on the ever-evolving role of artificial intelligence (AI). On day one, Informa TechTarget’s Jamison Cush and Sabrina Polin hosted a series of thought-provoking discussions with industry leaders, including an interview with Alex Culafi, senior news writer at Dark Reading. Culafi, a seasoned RSAC attendee, shared his observations on the heightened prominence of AI in the cybersecurity landscape and the noticeable absence of government representatives at this year’s event.
AI dominated the conversation, as Culafi noted the aggressive push by vendors to market AI-driven solutions, a trend that has only intensified since 2023. From combing through data to acting as automated threat intelligence bots, AI's capabilities have matured, with vendors now touting more ambitious use cases, such as agentic AI systems that aim to augment or even replace traditional security operations centers (SOCs). However, this rapid evolution has sparked debate among security executives, with some questioning the scalability of keeping humans involved in every AI decision — a concept known as "human in the loop." Culafi noted that Vodafone's global CISO, Emma Smith, argued for a shift toward "human on the loop," where AI takes the lead, and humans intervene only when necessary, a stance that raises both opportunities and concerns.
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Beyond AI, Culafi highlighted key developments in the threat landscape, including the rise of sophisticated supply chain attacks targeting open-source ecosystems and the evolving tactics of ransomware actors. While ransomware payments are trending downward as organizations improve their defenses, data theft remains a significant concern. As the conference unfolds, Culafi's insights set the stage for deeper discussions on the balance between innovation and risk in cybersecurity, making it clear that the industry is at a pivotal crossroads.
Live from RSAC 2026: "Human in the Loop" Doesn't Scale: Full Transcript
This transcript has been edited for clarity and length by Informa TechTarget's internal AI assistant. For the full experience, please watch the video, above.
Jamison Cush: Hello, and welcome as we conclude our live streaming coverage of day one from RSAC Conference 2026. I'm Jamison Cush with Informa TechTarget. And if you missed it earlier, we chatted with thought leaders from WiCyS and from ISACA and Informa TechTarget's cybersecurity expert Sharon Shea. I've also been chatting with the co-host here from the news desk, Informa TechTarget senior managing editor Sabrina Polin. And Sabrina, thank you once again for joining us.
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Sabrina Polin: Absolutely.
JC: And I mean it. It's been a pleasure. And it was also a pleasure chatting with Rob and Jenai. They had a lot of interesting nuggets to share. Was there anything that jumped out?
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