Trend Micro, a global cybersecurity company, has announced a strategic plan to protect consumers as advances in artificial intelligence (AI) reshape the computing environment. The initiative is designed to address the unique challenges and opportunities presented by the rise of AI PCs, which IDC predicts will account for nearly 60% of all PC shipments by 2027.
AI PCs represent a major evolution in the way individuals interact with AI. Processing data locally instead of in the cloud increases speed and security. However, this increased functionality also increases the potential for cyber threats, as malicious actors may attempt to exploit these powerful systems.
Trend Micro's strategy includes the introduction of several solutions scheduled for release in late 2024. These solutions are designed to secure AI applications, protect against malicious AI content, and leverage the neural processing units (NPUs) of AI PCs to enhance cybersecurity capabilities.
Areas of focus include AI application protection, which aims to prevent AI applications from being tampered with, contaminated with malicious input, and unintentionally or maliciously accessed sensitive data. Additionally, Malicious AI Content Protection implements solutions that defend against malicious content generated or modified by AI to protect consumers from such threats. Additionally, NPU-powered cybersecurity features are designed for AI PCs, leveraging the additional computing power provided by the NPU to provide advanced security measures.
“Generative AI represents an infrastructure shift that requires us to develop innovative solutions and leverage our long history of understanding digital threats to stay relevant,” said Eva Chen, co-founder and CEO of Trend Micro. “Our goal is to empower all our users, from individual consumers to the world's largest organizations, to safely and confidently harness the full potential of AI and AI-enabled PCs.”
While AI offers promising advancements for consumers, it also brings risks. A recent Trend Micro survey found that 72% of respondents are excited about AI's potential to improve the quality of tasks and uncover new opportunities. However, about 65% are concerned about AI's role in spreading misinformation, and 58% are worried about the misuse of their image or likeness.
Trend Micro's efforts also align with MITER Adversarial Threat Landscape for Artificial Intelligence Systems (ATLAS), which assesses risks associated with AI assets. The company maps its capabilities to this matrix to more effectively address consumer use cases.
The advent of AI PCs will bring significant benefits, including increased processing speeds and enhanced privacy. These systems will allow users to run AI applications locally, reducing the need to send data to the cloud. Not only will this development enhance data privacy, it also opens up new avenues for Trend Micro to deliver AI-powered cybersecurity solutions directly to devices.
As AI technology continues to evolve, Trend Micro is committed to innovating and adapting cybersecurity measures to protect consumers. By leveraging our deep expertise in digital threats, we aim to create a more secure environment for the proliferation of AI and AI PCs.
