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AI Can Make Businesses Faster, But It Also Makes Cyberattacks More Expensive to Fight

July 14, 2026

AI is helping companies improve productivity, but it is also helping attackers create faster, more convincing and more targeted cyberattacks. For businesses, this means the real cost of AI adoption is not only software subscription or cloud usage. It also includes stronger cybersecurity, better monitoring, backup protection, staff training and incident response planning.

Table of contents
Key Takeaways
  • AI can improve business productivity, but attackers are also using AI to improve cyberattacks.
  • Reuters Breakingviews reported on 14 July 2026 that cybersecurity costs may reduce part of AI’s expected productivity gains.
  • AI can help attackers create personalised phishing emails, scan code for weaknesses and automate attacks faster.
  • Companies may need to spend more on cyber defence, cyber insurance, monitoring and recovery planning.
  • Businesses should treat AI adoption and cybersecurity planning as one connected strategy.

Frequently Asked Questions About AI and Cybersecurity Cost

  1. Why can AI increase cybersecurity risk?

    AI can help attackers create more convincing phishing messages, automate research, scan code for weaknesses and launch attacks faster. This makes cyber threats harder to detect and respond to.

  2. Does AI only create risk for large companies?

    No. Any business that uses email, cloud services, online payments, customer data or remote access can be affected by AI-enabled cyberattacks.

  3. What is the first step businesses should take?

    Start with basic controls: multi-factor authentication, email security, endpoint protection, backup, access review and staff training.

  4. Can cyber insurance replace cybersecurity tools?

    No. Cyber insurance can help with financial protection, but insurers may require companies to strengthen cyber defences before offering coverage. It should support cybersecurity, not replace it.

  5. Should companies stop using AI tools?

    Not necessarily. AI can improve productivity. But companies should use approved tools, set clear data-sharing rules and review security before using AI with business information.

  6. What should not be entered into public AI tools?

    Avoid entering customer data, passwords, API keys, contracts, financial records, source code, confidential documents and internal business strategy into unapproved AI tools.