Zscaler CISO says AI will reshape security and work

At Zenith Live in Las Vegas, Zscaler CISO Sam Curry told the CAIO Connect Podcast that AI is forcing faster changes in security, governance, and the future of work. He said companies need simpler architectures, tighter cross-functional oversight, and closer ties between AI and security leaders to keep up. Why it matters: - AI is no longer just a productivity tool. Sam Curry said AI is accelerating disruption across cybersecurity, governance, and job design. - Companies that do not simplify their systems and tighten decision-making may struggle to keep pace with overlapping technology shifts. - The discussion points to a larger enterprise trend: security, AI strategy, and business leadership are becoming more tightly linked. What happened: - On the CAIO Connect Podcast at Zenith Live in Las Vegas, Zscaler Chief Information Security Officer Sam Curry spoke with host Sanjay Puri about how AI is changing enterprise operations. - Curry said businesses must prepare for rapid AI-driven disruption and build more adaptable organizations. - Curry argued that Chief AI Officers and Chief Information Security Officers need to work together from the start. - Curry said security should help organizations move faster, not serve as a roadblock. The details: - Curry said AI is one of several disruptive forces changing business at the same time, alongside quantum computing, robotics, and synthetic biology. - He said companies should focus on resilience and adaptability instead of trying to predict every shift in advance. - Curry compared security to the brakes on a car, saying strong security enables faster movement with more confidence. - He urged CISOs to support AI adoption and help guide new tools into the business. - Curry said Anthropic’s Project Mythos can identify software vulnerabilities at unprecedented speed and scale. - He said Mythos can find many vulnerabilities, link weaknesses into attack chains, generate exploitation code, and produce highly accurate results. - He said those capabilities can improve software quality but also force companies to patch faster and strengthen defenses. - Curry said many organizations may respond with code freezes and more security reviews. - He emphasized Zero Trust architectures, red teaming, and stronger security fundamentals. - On AI governance, Curry said no single executive should own the issue alone. - He said governance must involve technology, security, finance, legal, and executive teams. - Curry said Zscaler has multiple workstreams focused on AI governance. - He said Chief AI Officers should lead governance efforts, but broad organizational support is required. - Curry said, “Everybody has to take part.” Between the lines: - Curry’s comments reflect a shift from AI hype to operating-model change. - The message for enterprises is that AI adoption will reward organizations that can coordinate faster across security, legal, finance, and product teams. - His comments on Project Mythos also show the dual-use problem in AI security: the same tools that help find flaws can also help attackers scale discovery and exploitation. What’s next: - Curry expects AI to automate many routine technical tasks and raise the value of critical thinking, judgment, communication, and problem-solving. - Entry-level technology roles may shift toward oversight, architecture, and decision-making. - He said traditional software development could eventually give way to AI-driven approaches that bypass many existing programming tools. - Curry said organizations and workers who embrace adaptability, continuous learning, and cross-functional collaboration will be best positioned for the AI era.