The pace of artificial intelligence (AI) integration across organisations is rapid – despite the associated risks.
This is the headline finding from a global study conducted by Kaspersky’s internal research centre, which surveyed 1 800 IT and cybersecurity decision-makers and specialists from organisations across 18 countries and multiple industries.
The company’s experts stress that, while AI adoption delivers clear efficiency gains, it must be accompanied by robust cybersecurity solutions, well-defined internal procedures, and comprehensive employee education programmes.
The report highlights a clear organisational preference for AI-enhanced technology: 88% of respondents from South Africa said they would recommend a solution with AI features built in, while a mere 3% indicated they would prefer to avoid AI-enabled tools. This overwhelming endorsement underscores how deeply AI has embedded itself as a value driver across the modern enterprise.
AI has become a mainstream productivity tool spanning many business functions. The survey findings confirm that local employees across departments are already relying on AI tools for a wide range of everyday tasks, including: data analysis & visualisation (63%), project management (51%), search for information (52%), department-specific tasks (49%), text generation and editing (35%).
While organisations recognise the tangible benefits AI tools bring – including improved process efficiency and enhanced quality of deliverables – they also see the associated dangers. Eighty-seven percent of respondents from South Africa voiced concerns about the risks AI poses to their organisation.
These concerns are grounded in real-world experience. Among the 89% of organisations in South Africa that faced a cyber incident in the past year, 7% reported that they had experienced threats stemming specifically from AI-related vulnerabilities.
Notably, 78% of local respondents believe that these risks can be effectively mitigated through employees’ responsible behaviour — pointing to the critical importance of security awareness and training in the AI era.
“The speed at which organisations are embracing AI is remarkable, but it must be matched with an equally strong commitment to security. We are already seeing a growing range of threats directly tied to AI adoption – whether it’s malware camouflaged as popular AI tools, vulnerabilities introduced through unsecure vibecoding, or leaked access credentials to corporate AI platforms and malicious skills by AI agents. Managing these risks requires a holistic approach: the right technology, well-defined procedures, and a security-aware workforce,” comments Brandon Muller, senior security consultant for the META region at Kaspersky.