Security

AI adoption surges ahead of security in India; TrendAI flags governance gaps

TrendAI has published new global research revealing that organizations worldwide are pushing ahead with AI deployment despite known security and compliance risks.

A new global study of 3,700 leaders, including 200 business and IT decision-makers in India, reveals that nearly 80% of respondents in India have felt pressured to approve AI despite security concerns, with only 42% of IT managers and 49% of business managers feeling moderately prepared for the pace of IT adoption.

Sharda Tickoo, Country Manager, India & SAARC, TrendAI, organizations are not lacking awareness of risk. They are lacking the structures to act on it. Fragmented ownership, pressure-driven deployment and limited expertise are creating conditions where AI becomes embedded in critical systems before the controls exist to manage it safely. As organizations move toward more autonomous AI, that gap becomes far harder to close. This research reinforces our focus on helping organizations build the governance foundations that make AI adoption sustainable, not just fast.”

The risk of pressure-driven AI rollout is exacerbated by governance inconsistencies and unclear responsibility for AI risk that are becoming widespread. The same is true for security teams working on a reactive basis to top-down AI rollout decisions, which often leads to workarounds and increased use of unsanctioned or “shadow” AI tools. Recent TrendAI threat research reinforces this shift, showing how attackers are already using AI to automate reconnaissance, accelerate phishing campaigns and lower the barrier to entry for cybercrime, increasing both the speed and scale of attacks.

AI adoption is outpacing control Organizations are deploying AI faster than they can manage the associated risks, creating a widening gap between ambition and oversight. 81% of ITDMs and 77% of BDMs say AI is advancing more quickly than they can secure it, with readiness still lagging—only about 2 in 5 IT managers and roughly 1 in 2 business managers feel moderately prepared for the pace of AI adoption.

Governance maturity remains low. Organizations are grappling with fragmented ownership of AI risk, limited security and data expertise, and evolving regulatory ambiguity while 60% of malicious behavior still remains undetected. The implications of these gaps only grow as organizations move toward more autonomous AI.

Trust in autonomous AI remains uncertain

Confidence in more advanced, autonomous systems remains mixed. Around 50% believe agentic AI will transform cyber defense, but persistent concerns around data access, misuse and lack of oversight highlight an underlying trust gap.

The data also highlights where these concerns are most pronounced. Nearly half (46%) of ITDMs warn that malicious prompts could compromise security, while over two in five (43%) BDMs point to an expanding attack surface for cyber criminals. Alongside this, key risks include AI agents accessing sensitive data, abuse of trusted AI agents, lack of auditability, and risks linked to autonomous code deployment.

About half (51%) of ITDMs support AI “kill switch” mechanisms to shut down systems in case of failure or misuse, while nearly half remain uncertain; similarly, 48% of BDMs say it depends on the level of autonomy and risk involved. This lack of consensus highlights a deeper issue. Organizations are moving towards autonomous AI without agreement on how to retain control when it matters most.

“Agentic AI is moving organizations into a new risk category,” added Sharda Tickoo. “Our research shows the concerns are already clear, from sensitive data exposure to loss of oversight. It is, therefore, important for organizations to prioritize security and establish clear internal ownership of AI risk management. To stay ahead, organizations must adopt a more proactive, unified defense approach powered by AI-led, real-time threat intelligence, enabling them to embrace the AI era fearlessly.”

TrendAI commissioned SAPIO Research to survey 3,700 business and IT decision makers across the world, including 200 respondents from India comprising C- level executives, business owners and other senior level management. The study spans sectors such as IT and consulting, finance, insurance and accounting, manufacturing, and education.