The multibillion-dollar AI security problem enterprises can't ignore

AI agents are supposed to make work easier. Instead, they're creating a whole new category of security nightmares.

As companies deploy AI-powered chatbots, agents, and copilots across their operations, they're facing a new risk: how do you let employees and AI agents use powerful AI tools without accidentally leaking sensitive data, violating compliance rules, or opening the door to prompt-based injections? Witness AI just raised $58 million to find a solution, building what they call "the confidence layer for enterprise AI."

Today on TechCrunch’s Equity (techcrunch.com/podcasts/equity) podcast, Rebecca Bellan was joined by Barmak Meftah (ballisticventures.com/team/barmak-meftah), co-founder and partner at Ballistic Ventures, and Rick Caccia (witness.ai/about-us), CEO of Witness AI, to discuss what enterprises are actually worried about, why AI security become an $800 billion to $1.2 trillion market by 2031, and what happens when AI agents start talking to other AI agents without human oversight.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

•
How enterprises accidentally leak sensitive data through "shadow AI" usage.

•
What CISOs are actually worried about right now, how the problem has evolved rapidly over 18 months, and what it will look like over the next year.

•
Why traditional cybersecurity approaches don't work for AI agents.

•
Real examples of AI agents going rogue, including one that threatened to blackmail an employee.

Subscribe to Equity on YouTube (youtube.com/@TechCrunch),Apple Podcasts (itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1215439780),Overcast (overcast.fm/itunes1215439780/equity),Spotify (open.spotify.com/show/5IEYLip3eDppcOmy5DmphC?s…) and all the casts. You also can follow Equity onX (twitter.com/EquityPod) andThreads (threads.net/@equitypod), at @EquityPod.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices