AI isn’t replacing security talent… it’s redefining it. The challenge for leaders and practitioners alike is separating hype from reality and figuring out where humans and machines truly complement each other. In this session, we’ll look back at four decades of disruption, from mainframes to cloud to SaaS, to see the recurring pattern: disruption, turbulence, adaptation.

We’ll then dive into today’s noisy landscape, where 30% of security pros already use AI, 42% are evaluating it, vendors are flooding the market with AI-washing, and some claim “entry-level jobs are dead.” Using real data and frameworks, we’ll unpack which roles are changing, which new ones are emerging, and how junior talent can actually be accelerated by AI instead of eliminated.

Finally, we’ll focus on the human edge: the skills that machines can’t replace… context, judgment, resilience, creativity… and the leadership imperative to invest in people, not just tools. Expect research, sardonic metaphors, and a candid roadmap for how the next generation of security talent can thrive alongside machines.

Key message: AI won’t make us obsolete… it will make us more valuable, if we choose to adapt.