Generative AI refers to systems that create new text, images, audio, code, or other content by learning patterns from large datasets. Unlike traditional software that follows fixed rules, GenAI can produce original-looking output in response to prompts, which makes it useful for drafting, summarizing, translating, and automating support tasks.
In cyber security, GenAI matters because it can help both defenders and attackers. Security teams use it to summarize alerts, analyze logs, and speed up incident response. Attackers can use it to write convincing phishing emails, generate fake messages or voices, and automate social engineering at scale. GenAI also introduces risks inside organizations: users may paste sensitive data into chat tools, connect models to internal systems without oversight, or trust generated content without validation. Defenses focus on access control, prompt logging, output review, data handling rules, and monitoring of third-party integrations.