There is growing concern among the Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) of the Security Operations Center around China’s huge AI Deepseyk.
AI has been told as a new dawn of business efficiency and innovation, but for those on the forefront of corporate defense, it casts a very long and dark shadow.
Four in five (81%) UK CISO believes that Chinese AI chatbots need emergency regulations from the government. They fear that without rapid intervention, the tool could potentially be a catalyst for a full-scale national cybercrisis.
This is not a speculative anxiety. This is a direct response to technologies where data processing practices and potential misuse can raise alarm bells at the highest level of enterprise security.
The findings commissioned by the Absolute Security of the UK Resilience Risk Index Report are based on polls from 250 CISOs in large UK organizations. The data suggest that the theoretical threats of AI are firmly landing on the CISO desk, and their responses are critical.
It would have been hardly thought of a few years ago. A third (34%) of these security leaders have already implemented a complete ban on AI tools due to cybersecurity concerns. 30% of similar numbers have already pulled out plugs for specific AI deployments within your organization.
This retreat is not a sign of rudism, but a practical response to escalating issues. As evidenced by famous incidents like the recent Harrods violation, businesses are already facing complex and hostile threats. CISOs struggle to maintain their pace, and adding sophisticated AI tools to their attacker arsenals is a challenge that many feel cannot handle.
Increased security readiness gap for AI platforms like Deepseek
The core of the problems with platforms like Deepseek is the possibility of exposing sensitive corporate data and being weaponized by cybercriminals.
Three of the five (60%) (60%) CISOs predict a direct increase in cyberattacks as a result of the proliferation of Deepseek. At the same rate, the technology is already entangled with privacy and governance frameworks, making already difficult tasks almost impossible.
This encouraged a change in perspective. When considered a potential silver bullet in cybersecurity, AI is now seen by more and more experts as part of the issue. The survey reveals that 42% of CISOs currently view AI as a greater threat than helping defensive efforts.
Absolute Security’s SVP International said: “Our research highlights the key risks posed by new AI tools like Deepseek, which are rapidly reconstructing cyberthreat landscapes.
“As concerns grow at the possibility of accelerating attacks and compromise sensitive data, organizations must act now, strengthen cyber resilience, and adapt their security frameworks to respond to these AI-driven threats.
“That’s why four people in five UK CISOs are urgently calling for government restrictions. They have seen how fast the technology is progressing and how easily it can outweigh existing cybersecurity defenses.”
Perhaps the most worrying thing is the approval of not being prepared. Almost half (46%) of senior security leaders confess that their teams are not ready to manage the unique threat posed by AI-driven attacks. They have witnessed the development of tools like Deepseek, surpassing their defensive capabilities in real time, creating a gap in dangerous vulnerability that many believe can only be shut down through national-level government intervention.
“These are not hypothetical risks,” Ward continued. “The fact that organizations have already banned AI tools altogether and are rethinking their security strategies in response to the risks posed by LLMSs like DeepSeek shows the urgency of the situation.
“Without a national regulatory framework, setting clear guidelines on how these tools are deployed, governed and monitored, jeopardizing widespread disruption across all sectors of the UK economy.”
Companies are investing in AI adoption to avoid the crisis
Despite this defensive attitude, businesses are not planning a complete hideaway from AI. The response is more like a strategic pause than a permanent pause.
Companies recognize the immeasurable potential of AI and are actively investing in safely adopting it. In fact, 84% of organizations have made hiring AI professionals a priority in 2025.
This investment extends to the top of the corporate ladder. 80% of companies are committed to AI training at the C-suite level. Strategies appear to be a double-line approach. This raises the workforce to introduce the professional talent needed to understand and manage technology and navigate its complexity.
Hope – and hope, if not prayer – is that building a strong internal foundation of AI expertise can serve as a counterbalance to external escalating threats.
The message from UK security leadership is clear. They don’t want to block AI innovation, but they allow them to proceed safely. This requires a stronger partnership with the government.
Progress includes establishing clear rules of engagement, government oversight, a pipeline of skilled AI experts, and a consistent national strategy to manage the potential security risks posed by Deepseek, as well as the next generation of powerful AI tools that inevitably need to be followed.
“The debate time is over. Immediate action, policy and surveillance is needed to ensure that AI is not a catalyst for crisis, but a force of progress,” Ward concludes.
reference: Alan Turing Institute: Humanities are the key to the future of AI.
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