AI consultancy firm Thinking Machines said organizations can strengthen their cybersecurity strategy by using artificial intelligence (AI) to improve productivity while maintaining responsible adoption practices.
As businesses in Southeast Asia accelerate digital transformation, the same technologies that drive growth also expand their exposure to cyber risks. Thinking Machines said responsible AI adoption helps organizations work faster while keeping security central to innovation.
“Organizations are moving quickly to integrate new tools and workflows, but many still struggle to maintain consistent security controls and training,” the company said. “Balancing speed with safety requires embedding security practices into everyday work rather than treating them as a separate function.”
The firm noted that many organizations continue to face challenges such as limited cybersecurity talent and lack of practical experience in securely applying AI. These gaps make it difficult to scale AI adoption responsibly.
As cyber threats become more complex, Thinking Machines said cybersecurity should no longer rest solely on IT teams, which are often stretched across compliance, monitoring, and incident response. Instead, it should be viewed as a shared responsibility across all business functions.
According to the consultancy, AI-driven productivity enables teams to work more efficiently, creating room to reinvest time and resources into cybersecurity initiatives such as audits, staff training, and internal controls.
“Productivity gains from AI are not just cost savings; they represent capacity that can be reinvested to protect the systems that generate value,” it said.
AI tools have improved efficiency across industries, particularly in document-heavy tasks such as compliance reviews, policy research, and reporting. Thinking Machines cited a project with a Tier 1 Philippine bank, where it developed a generative AI (GenAI) system that helps branch officers quickly find and apply updated policies from a large document library. The system delivers answers about three times faster than traditional search tools while maintaining enterprise-grade security and compliance.
The company shared several recommendations for businesses to adopt AI responsibly:
- Invest in people. Train employees to use AI securely and confidently to reduce vulnerabilities.
- Establish data foundations. Set clear ownership, quality standards, and access controls for data.
- Codify rules. Integrate policies and controls into AI systems for trusted, auditable operations.
- Adopt a human-in-command approach. Maintain oversight, audit trails, and review processes to ensure accountability.
Through training over 10,000 professionals, Thinking Machines said it has seen how responsible AI use enhances both productivity and cybersecurity. The firm added that AI can support but never replace human oversight, creating a cycle where faster operations also mean stronger defenses.