Thales CEO Patrice Caine urges investment in AI defenses against rising AI-powered cyberattacks

At a cybersecurity event in Paris on October 1, 2026, Thales CEO Patrice Caine called for greater investment in AI-powered defenses to counter a "frightening" rise in AI-enhanced cyberattacks. He noted that AI enables faster, more sophisticated attacks, some operating autonomously, but also offers defensive opportunities. Caine presented new tools, including software against AI attacks and a Google Cloud partnership. He highlighted that state actors now target private companies running critical services. The event comes amid growing concerns about AI risks, including recent incidents involving OpenAI and warnings from tech executives.