November 2024

Ensuring robust cybersecurity measures are in place is more important than ever when it comes to protecting organizations and even governments and nations from digital threats.

As society’s reliance on digital platforms, online connectivity, and the transfer and storage of data has grown, so has the number of potential attack vectors. Phishing attacks, identity theft and ransomware are all growing in frequency and scale.

Now, AI has been added to the mix, particularly generative AI. But while this revolutionary technology creates new risks, it also creates new opportunities.

Cyber security analysts, engineers, architects and ethical hackers are on the front line of this fight. Increasingly, their work will involve collaboration with intelligent machines and generative AI technology to tackle the new wave of threats.

So, if you work — or are considering working — in cybersecurity and want to know how the rise of AI will impact your role and the future of your profession, read on.

Generative AI and Cybersecurity

The Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) framework defines eight key domains when it comes to cybersecurity. Broadly speaking, these can be used to categorize the key tasks that security professionals are responsible for. It isn’t difficult to see that generative AI has implications for all of them:

Security and risk management involves identifying specific threats, such as phishing or denial-of-service attacks. Here, generative AI can be used to conduct risk assessments in real-time and automatically report on recommendations and mitigation strategies.

Asset security focuses on implementing protection measures for systems and data. Generative AI tools can be used to automate the classification of sensitive information and identify weak points in security infrastructure.

Security architecture and engineering refers to work that involves designing and implementing security measures. Generative AI can be used to suggest security implementations as well as to simulate attacks to test their effectiveness.

Communication and network security is the job of ensuring the transfer of data across networks is secure. Machine learning algorithms monitor traffic and look for patterns that suggest suspicious activity, while generative AI tools create real-time reports that flag potential breaches.

Identity and access management involves ensuring authorized users have access to the systems and data they need while keeping out potential intruders. AI can track user behavior and access patterns to identify anomalies or detect phishing attacks by analyzing emails or voice comms for content, tone and structure. It can also create simulated phishing attacks to probe for vulnerabilities.

Security assessment and testing implements processes for conducting routine tests across the entire spectrum of cybersecurity infrastructure. GenAI can automate the creation of testing schedules and reporting of results, along with generating recommendations for corrective action.

Security operations refers to the procedures in place to detect and respond to ongoing security incidents. Generative AI tools can be used to create automatic incident response plans or conduct simulated attacks, enabling organizations to reduce the time it takes to respond to breaches.

Software development security ensures that software vulnerabilities are identified at the development stage. Generative AI tools can automate code reviews and the writing of testing plans, as well as scan code repositories to ensure they are safe.

By understanding how generative AI can be integrated across these domains, cybersecurity professionals can develop a solid understanding of how this technology can help them spot and respond to threats as well as proactively strengthen the defenses of their organizations.

How The Role Of Cybersecurity Professionals Will Change

I believe generative AI will impact just about every job, profession and career path, and the in-demand field of cybersecurity is no exception.

Those who have the ability to work with generative AI will find it easier to automate many elements of their day-to-day activities. This will free up their valuable time to spend on activities that aren’t so easy to delegate to machines.

These could include working face-to-face with colleagues to help them understand their own cybersecurity responsibilities, tasks involving high-level strategic decision-making, or identifying novel threats that aren’t well recognized and documented.

Something else that even the best AIs don’t yet have the generality to do as well as humans is understanding the specific foibles of a particular organization’s culture and how they create or mitigate security threats. This could include the leadership’s attitude towards security, the quality of training policies in place, and compliance levels around IT codes of practice.

Just as is the case with professionals in other fields, those who are able to reskill and upskill in the face of this shake-up of responsibilities and priorities will find they are more likely to prosper.

The challenges and opportunities faced by cybersecurity professionals will undoubtedly evolve, and the increasing prevalence of AI will be a primary driver of this.

The ability to adapt will be essential, as tomorrow’s threats will be different from today’s. Consider, for example, the threats posed to encryption standards by quantum computing or the data protection risks arising from more and more of our personal information being digitized and stored online.

This will result in cybersecurity professionals becoming increasingly critical to the safety of not just their organizations but society as a whole as we move further into the digital age.

As enterprises increasingly rely on company-issued smartphones as primary computing devices, these mobile devices are becoming the frontline of workplace AI integration. For many organizations, choosing between an iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, or Google Pixel now means making strategic decisions about which AI capabilities will best serve their workforce and enhance productivity.

The $500 billion smartphone industry has transformed into a battlefield of artificial intelligence, with each manufacturer vying to deliver enterprise-grade AI features that can revolutionize workplace productivity and security. But which company is actually providing the most valuable AI capabilities? Let’s dive into the unique approaches each major player is taking to win over enterprise customers with their AI innovations.

Apple iPhone: Where Privacy Meets Intelligence

Apple’s fashionably late arrival to the AI party with its Apple Intelligence platform proves that good things come to those who wait. Through a strategic partnership with OpenAI (the creators of ChatGPT and DALL-E), Apple has introduced a sophisticated suite of AI tools that seamlessly blend cloud-based and on-device processing.

The platform’s standout features include an advanced language model that handles everything from email drafting to document summarization while breathing new life into Siri’s conversational abilities. The playful Image Playground and Genmoji features add creative flair to the package, letting users generate custom images and personalized emojis.

What truly sets Apple apart, however, is its unwavering commitment to privacy. By processing many AI features directly on the device, it has managed to deliver cutting-edge capabilities while minimizing the transmission of sensitive data to the cloud – a compelling proposition for the privacy-conscious consumer.

Samsung Galaxy: The Performance Powerhouse

Samsung has thrown down the gauntlet with its latest Galaxy S24 Ultra, embedding AI into the very DNA of the device through its custom Exynos chipset. The dedicated AI cores don’t just sound impressive – they deliver tangible improvements in how the phone handles AI-intensive tasks.

The Scene Optimizer in Samsung’s camera system is particularly clever, acting like a professional photographer’s assistant that automatically adjusts settings based on what you’re shooting. Whether you’re capturing portraits, landscapes, or your pet’s latest antics, the AI ensures you get the best possible shot.

But it’s the behind-the-scenes AI magic that really makes the Galaxy shine. The intelligent performance optimization system works like a skilled conductor, orchestrating CPU and GPU resources while adapting to your usage patterns to extend battery life. The result? A smartphone that feels more responsive and reliable with each passing day.

Google Pixel: The Photographer’s Dream

Google’s Pixel lineup, powered by their custom Tensor chip, showcases what happens when one of the world’s leading AI companies turns its attention to smartphone photography. The results are nothing short of remarkable.

The Magic Eraser feature has to be seen to be believed – it removes unwanted objects from photos with almost supernatural precision. Combined with AI-enhanced zoom capabilities and intelligent low-light photography, the Pixel transforms even casual snapshots into professional-looking images.

The integration of Google’s Gemini chatbot takes things further, enabling real-time captions for phone calls and videos, instant voice recording transcription, and seamless language translation. It’s like having a personal assistant who’s equally comfortable handling your photography and communication needs.

Huawei: Practical AI For Everyday Life

While Huawei might not be the first name that comes to mind for many Western consumers, its Pura 70 series demonstrates a refreshingly practical approach to AI implementation. Under the Harmony Intelligence banner, it has developed features that solve real-world problems.

Its Image Expand technology can intelligently fill in missing background details when enlarging photos, while the Sound Repair feature patches audio drops in real time during calls. The upgraded Celia assistant, powered by the Pangu LLM, adds sophisticated image recognition capabilities that make everyday tasks smoother and more intuitive.

The Bottom Line

The AI smartphone revolution has given consumers something they haven’t had in years: meaningful choice. Whether you prioritize privacy (Apple), performance (Samsung), photography (Google), or practical everyday features (Huawei), there’s now a clear differentiation between leading smartphones that goes beyond mere aesthetics or ecosystem lock-in.

As AI technology continues to evolve at breakneck speed, we can expect these differences to become even more pronounced. The smartphone in your pocket is no longer just a communication device – it’s an AI-powered personal assistant that’s getting smarter with each new generation.

The stock market’s current AI euphoria, driven by companies like NVIDIA developing powerful processors for machine learning, might mask a more troubling reality. While artificial intelligence promises to revolutionize trading and risk management, it could paradoxically make our financial systems more fragile and susceptible to catastrophic failures.

“There’s so much euphoria, with tens or even upwards of a hundred billions of dollars being spent on AI. Every major investment bank on Wall Street is implementing it,” notes Jim Rickards, author of the new book Money GPT. However, he controversially asserts that this widespread adoption of AI in financial markets could amplify market crashes beyond anything we’ve seen before.

The Fallacy Of Composition

Rickards introduces a compelling concept called the “fallacy of composition” – where actions that make sense for individual market participants could spell disaster when adopted by everyone. He illustrates this with an analogy: “At a football game, one fan standing up gets a better view. That actually works. The problem is everyone behind them stands up, and next thing you know, the entire stadium is on their feet and nobody has a better view.”

In financial markets, this phenomenon could manifest during market downturns. While it might be prudent for individual investors to sell during a crash, if AI systems controlling vast amounts of capital all execute similar strategies simultaneously, the result could be catastrophic.

The Missing Human Element

The author claims one of the most significant risks stems from removing human judgment from the equation. He points to the historic role of specialists on the New York Stock Exchange, who were tasked with maintaining orderly markets: “The specialist was supposed to stand up to the market when there was a wave of sellers… try to equilibrate the market.” Today’s AI systems, he suggests, lack this nuanced human judgment.

Speed And Synchronicity: A Dangerous Combination

While market panics aren’t new, AI introduces unprecedented risks through its speed and synchronicity. The automated nature of AI-driven trading could accelerate market movements and create feedback loops that human traders might otherwise interrupt. As Rickards cautions, “What is new is the speed at which they can happen, the amplifying effect and the recursive function.”

Beyond Market Crashes: The Banking System At Risk

The concerns extend beyond stock markets to the banking system itself. Rickards points to the recent collapse of Silicon Valley Bank as an example of how digital technology can accelerate bank runs. “That didn’t work out over weeks and months. That happened in two days,” he notes, suggesting that AI could further accelerate such events.

The Path Forward

While the author’s warnings are stark, he emphasizes that the solution isn’t to abandon AI entirely. Instead, he advocates for more sophisticated circuit breakers and regulatory frameworks. He suggests implementing “cybernetic” approaches that could gradually slow market activity during periods of stress rather than implementing sudden stops.

A Call For Balanced Innovation

As financial institutions rush to implement AI systems, Rickards’ analysis serves as a timely reminder of the need for careful consideration of systemic risks. While artificial intelligence offers powerful capabilities for analyzing markets and managing risk, we must ensure these tools don’t inadvertently make our financial systems more vulnerable to catastrophic failures.

The challenge ahead lies in harnessing AI’s potential while implementing safeguards against its systemic risks. As financial markets continue their technological transformation, finding this balance may prove crucial for global economic stability.

Credit: Bernard Marr

As in just about every other field of technology, AI will undoubtedly continue to be the key driver of innovation throughout 2025. Increasingly, it will also become the channel through which handset manufacturers will seek to differentiate their offerings in what has undeniably become a somewhat homogenous market.

However, breakthroughs in screen technology, battery and form factor will continue to push our ever-present electronic companions into new territory. So let’s take a look at the key trends shaping the world of smartphone technology over the coming 12 months.

LLM-Powered Voice Assistants

Perhaps the most transformational application of AI within the smartphone ecosystem this year will be the ongoing addition of LLM functionality to AI assistants, as we’ve seen this year with the addition of Apple Intelligence to Siri and the merging of Google’s Gemini with Android. This means we can expect the conversational abilities of our phones to become more natural and human-like, particularly as we see elements of technology such as ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode begin to creep into smartphones.

AI-Powered User Experience

Aside from LLM-powered voice functions, we will continue to see AI improving user experience in more subtle ways, such as prolonging battery life, optimizing storage and enhancing camera functionality. As developers and manufacturers look for innovative ways to improve UX, I anticipate that we will see a move towards more predictive use cases as devices become capable of anticipating user behaviors and intuitively allocating resources in a more personalized way.

Privacy And Security

As our phones become capable of knowing more about us through their scanners and sensors and become more essential to our lives, the importance of keeping them secure increases.

This year, we’ve seen innovations such as theft detection ability, which is capable of automatically securing a device when it rapidly moves away from its owner. We can expect to see continued development of features, leveraging encryption, biometrics, and on-device AI, designed to protect the valuable data they hold.

Not-So-Smart Phones

As the subset of phone users suffering from “feature fatigue” grows, I expect we will see continued interest in the niche but growing field of basic “dumb” phones. These minimalist devices are designed to reduce the impact on users’ lives of the many distracting influences of feature-rich phones. Or just provide a secure device that won’t mean the owner’s life effectively disappears when the handset is lost or stolen!

More Affordable Multi-Screen Displays

Dual-screen displays have been around for a while now, and this year, Huawei launched the first (very expensive) tri-screen model. This push for expanding screen real estate without increasing device size shows that the smartphone-buying public has an appetite for devices with larger displays and innovative form factors, even though current models are pricey. This means that it’s likely we’ll see the emergence of cheaper models in the near future.

Sustainability In Smartphone Manufacture And Design

With consumer behavior increasingly driven by environmental concerns, manufacturers are responding by adopting more sustainable practices throughout their product lifecycles. Apple and Samsung have both increased the percentage of recycled materials going into their devices, and this trend is likely to continue into 2025. Apple, in particular, has said that it intends to achieve 100% usage of recycled cobalt in its batteries by this year. We are also seeing a switch towards greater use of modular parts, such as batteries and screens, which can be replaced easily in order to improve repairability and recyclability, improving product life spans.

Better Battery Technology

New developments in battery technology will continue to reshape the smartphone user experience throughout 2025. Major manufacturers, including Samsung, are known to be working on developing solid-state batteries, which will vastly improve the lifespan and charging speed of the power cells used in our devices. They are also less prone to overheating and could solve safety issues and reduce incidents of battery malfunction. And Apple is expected to debut an entirely new model of battery in 2025, designed in-house and offering vastly improved performance. We can also expect continuous incremental improvements such as better wireless charging and AI battery management.

Enhanced Connectivity Solutions

While many locations are still waiting to benefit from the rollout of true 5G networks, other advanced networking solutions promise to revolutionize the way we use smartphones in the near future. One of the major innovations is the rollout of satellite networks – most famously Elon Musk’s Starlink – which aims to provide global mobile broadband coverage. This could see mobile coverage expanded to even the most remote regions of the planet, as well as providing resilience in the face of technological breakdown or natural disasters in currently well-connected areas.

In an era where our smartphones rarely leave our pockets, smartwatches have emerged as the new frontier of personal computing – and the competition has never been fiercer. As we dive into 2025, these wrist-mounted companions have evolved far beyond simple notification displays, becoming sophisticated health monitors, fitness coaches, and even potential lifesavers.

The rapidly evolving smartwatch market presents both excitement and challenges for consumers. While the smartphone market has largely settled into predictable patterns, smartwatch manufacturers continue to push boundaries with innovative features and specialized use cases, creating a fascinating landscape of choices for tech-savvy consumers.

Apple Continues To Define The Premium Segment

Apple’s 2025 lineup showcases the company’s commitment to market segmentation, with each model targeting specific user needs. The Series 10 emerges as the cornerstone of their collection, featuring an enhanced display and sophisticated health monitoring capabilities, including new air quality sensors and improved ECG functionality. It remains the go-to choice for iPhone users seeking a premium all-around smartwatch experience.

The Ultra 2 takes Apple’s rugged philosophy to new heights, justifying its premium price point with features tailored for extreme sports enthusiasts. With 100-meter water resistance, extended battery life, and precision GPS, it’s clearly positioned as the adventure-seeker’s companion.

For budget-conscious consumers, the SE 2nd Generation offers an attractive entry point to the Apple ecosystem, now available in a compact 40mm size. While it forgoes certain advanced health features, it delivers core functionality at a more accessible price point.

Samsung And Google Challenge The Status Quo

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 7 demonstrates the company’s technical prowess with its advanced 3nm processor and AI-powered health tracking features. The inclusion of dual-frequency GPS – a feature reserved for Apple’s Ultra model – positions it as a compelling alternative in the premium segment. The Galaxy Watch Ultra pushes boundaries further with its impressive 100-hour battery life and enhanced durability specifications.

Google’s Pixel Watch 3 emerges as a dark horse in the competition, introducing innovative AI-powered features that showcase the company’s software expertise. The new loss-of-pulse detection system, which can automatically call for emergency assistance, represents a significant advancement in personal safety technology.

Budget Options Prove Their Worth

The Nothing CMF Watch Pro 2 demonstrates how far budget smartwatches have come, offering core functionality at a fraction of premium prices. While it may lack cutting-edge features like ECG sensors or on-device AI, its impressive 45-day battery life in power-saving mode makes it a practical choice for users prioritizing longevity over advanced features.

Specialized Solutions For Specific Needs

Huawei’s Watch Ultimate carves out its niche in the outdoor adventure segment with features like real-time environmental monitoring and exceptional battery life. Meanwhile, the Fitbit Ace LTE addresses a growing market for children’s smartwatches, offering cellular connectivity and location sharing while maintaining privacy – a thoughtful approach to introducing young users to wearable technology.

Looking Ahead

As we progress through 2025, the smartwatch market continues to mature while maintaining its capacity for innovation. The integration of AI-powered health monitoring, extended battery life, and specialized use cases suggests that we’re entering a new era of wearable technology – one where smartwatches are no longer mere smartphone companions but essential tools for health, safety, and daily life management.

Whether you’re an athlete seeking performance insights, a parent wanting to stay connected with your child, or simply someone looking to take better care of their health, today’s smartwatch market offers more choices than ever before. The key lies in identifying which combination of features, form factor, and price point aligns with your specific needs.