Global AI security leader TrendAI™ has released research showing that companies worldwide are pressing ahead with AI deployment, even as security and compliance risks loom large.

The study, which surveyed 3,700 business and IT decision makers across 23 countries including Australia, found that 67% of respondents have felt pressured to approve AI despite security concerns.

Alarmingly, nearly one in five Australians (19%) described those concerns as “extreme” but still overridden to keep pace with competitors and internal demand.

According to Rachel Jin, Chief Platform & Business Officer, Head of TrendAI organisations are not lacking awareness of risk, they’re lacking the conditions to manage it.

“When deployment is driven by competitive pressure rather than governance maturity, you create a situation where AI is embedded into critical systems without the controls needed to manage it safely.”

“This research reinforces our focus on helping organisations drive solid business outcomes with AI while still managing business risk.” said Jin.

The study also highlights that pressure-driven AI rollout is worsened by inconsistent governance and unclear accountability for AI risk.

Security teams often operate reactively in response to top-down AI decisions, resulting in workarounds and the growing use of unsanctioned or “shadow” AI tools.

TrendAI™’s recent threat research underscores the danger, showing how attackers are leveraging AI to automate reconnaissance, accelerate phishing campaigns, and lower the barrier to cybercrime—amplifying both the speed and scale of attacks.

AI Adoption Outpacing Control in Australia

Australian organisations surveyed are deploying AI faster than they can manage its risks, creating a widening gap between ambition and oversight.

Sixty-eight percent said AI is advancing more quickly than they can secure it, while 44% of senior business decision makers report only a moderate understanding of legal frameworks governing AI.

Although nearly two-thirds (64%) of Australian organisations have comprehensive AI policies in place, more than 40% cite unclear regulation and lack of internal governance as barriers to safe adoption. In practice, governance maturity remains low, with AI often operationalised before clear rules are established.

Srujan Talakokkula, Managing Director ANZ of TrendAI says while many organisations across Australia and New Zealand report strong confidence in AI preparedness and recognition of AI’s role in combating AI-driven threats

“There is a clear gap in understanding of legal frameworks governing AI and differing views on accountability and human oversight across both business and IT leadership.”

“With governance challenges intensifying and AI-driven threats becoming more sophisticated, visibility of assets and risk management across the entire AI lifecycle is critical,.”

“This research highlights the importance of working with trusted partners that allow organisations to safely deploy and scale AI.” said Talakokkula

Trust in Autonomous AI Remains Uncertain

Globally, confidence in advanced, autonomous AI systems is still maturing. Fewer than half (44%) believe agentic AI will significantly improve cyber defence in the short term, with persistent concerns around data access, misuse, and lack of oversight.

Australian data reflects these concerns: 45% of respondents say AI agents accessing sensitive data is their biggest risk; 34% flag autonomous code deployment; nearly one-third (31%) fear abuse of trusted AI, and 30% worry about hallucinations or false outputs.

Meanwhile, almost one-third (31%) of global business decision makers admit they lack observability or auditability over these systems, raising serious questions about organisational control once agents are deployed.

Up to 54% of Australian respondents support AI “kill switch” mechanisms for emergency shutdown, while nearly half remain unsure. Less than half (42%) believe a human should always remain in the loop for AI-driven security operations.

The lack of consensus underscores a deeper issue: organisations are moving toward autonomous AI without agreement on how to maintain control when it matters most.

“Agentic AI is moving organisations into a new risk category. Our research shows the concerns are already clear, from sensitive data exposure to loss of oversight.” said Jin

“Without visibility and control, organisations are deploying systems they don’t fully understand or govern, and that risk is only going to increase unless action is taken.” she said.

Trend Micro’s research highlights a rapidly evolving AI security landscape, with the TrendAI™ ecosystem expanding amid rising AI-driven cyber threats and increasing demand for agentic defense solutions.

The company projects 2026 consolidated net sales of around ¥301,500 million (US$1.9 billion) and an operating income of ¥56,400 million (US$361 million), maintaining its position as the world’s second-largest player in the endpoint security market with a 13.3% share.