AI in OT Sparks Cascade of Complex Challenges

The article reviews a joint CISA/NSA/ASD advisory on AI integration in operational technology, warning that nondeterministic AI (like LLMs) clashes with OT needs for predictability and safety. It highlights gaps in device identity, firmware signing, supply-chain verification, vendor support, and operator skills that increase risk, and notes attackers are beginning to use AI to find and exploit vulnerabilities. The piece recommends conservative deployment, cryptographic identities, signed firmware and SBOMs, anomaly-detection approaches that avoid interfering with OT operations, and significant investment in governance and lifecycle processes.