Over 100 tech firms demand ‘defensive surge’ against AI-driven cyberattacks

More than 100 technology and cybersecurity companies have signed an open letter demanding governments and organizations mount a “defensive surge” against cyberattacks powered by artificial intelligence. The signatories, which include Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, and OpenAI, are essentially sounding the alarm that the cybersecurity status quo is about to get steamrolled. The letter, released on August 27, paints a picture of a threat landscape evolving faster than the institutions meant to protect it. AI-driven attacks targeting hospitals, water treatment facilities, and core internet infrastructure are no longer theoretical. They’re happening, and the companies building the AI in the first place want everyone else to take that seriously before the problem compounds. What the letter actually asks for The core demand is straightforward: organizations across every sector need to treat cyber defense as a leadership-level priority, not something delegated to an IT department running last year’s playbook. Beyond internal housekeeping, the letter pushes governments to fast-track what it calls “trusted access programs.” The idea is to give cybersecurity defenders early access to the most a...