AI Becomes the Top Cybersecurity Priority for Defenders as Criminals Exploit It, PwC Warns

PwC's Annual Threat Dynamics 2026 report warns that AI is a force multiplier for cybercriminals—enabling faster malware development, automated reconnaissance, agentic AI-driven penetration tools, and scalable multilingual phishing—while also noting AI's potential to enhance defensive capabilities such as faster detection and automated containment.