Axios Event: Fast-paced AI world meets risk-based headwinds, experts say

NEW YORK – The tension between speed and security is underscoring AI rollouts across companies and governments, several experts said at a roundtable discussion event at Axios' annual AI+ Summit.

• Axios' Maria Curi and George Moriarty moderated the June 4 discussion, sponsored by Varonis.

What they're saying: "One of the biggest topics I talk with customers about who are looking to adopt this technology is exactly what you mentioned, which is trying to disambiguate this idea of AI safety from AI security," said Jason Garman, AWS principal security solutions architect.

• "So we encourage customers to look at it from two different lenses, and adopt two different mechanisms for controlling those risks for safety and for security."

Case in point: Zencity chief strategy officer Michael Simon said most of the startup's customers are state-owned governments, which are very careful about security concerns. It can be a challenge for the tech startup industry known to "move fast and break things."

• "Our customers are very safety, security conscious," Simon said.
• "We're facing a real tension" between moving swiftly to remain competitive as a startup but also being thoughtful about secure AI implementation for customers, he said.

The big picture: "[Y]ou want to move fast and you need to move fast because all of the players in your sector are moving fast," DataDisrupt founder Ariel Boyman said.

• "I think certainly from a functional perspective within corporate development, we rely on the vendors whose solutions we're using," he said. " … Hopefully, you vet their security policies and safety policies, to the extent you can. But I think there is absolutely that tension."

The bottom line: "I think this comes down to a risk-reward analysis," said Caroline Giegerich, vice president of AI at IAB.

• Giegerich said most companies implementing AI should have a task force with cross-functional leadership, including legal representatives.
• "When [legal is] part of the process, you can move much more quickly," she said. "And not just legal, but your data privacy team to make sure the data is secure, your marketing leadership, your etcetera."
• "I think that has to be a foundational piece of moving quickly and breaking things."