My career has been founded in public service: most of it spent in intelligence, and more recently in security assurance across critical national infrastructure. Both my military and civilian careers have demanded the ability to understand systems and behaviours in their context. Why people and organisations act as they do gives us the foresight to anticipate and mitigate risk.

Understanding the impact of generative AI is an extension of my professional practice. I recognised early that it would profoundly reshape how organisations operate, and that conviction drove the research the Association of Security Consultants honoured with their Imbert Award.

The evidence is clear. The risk does not lie purely within the technology itself, but in how that technology is used and deployed by people. Competitive pressure, both domestic and international, risks undermining secure-by-design deployment whilst driving innovation. This same competition is creating a fragmented regulatory environment. At present, our institutions are not agile enough to keep pace with the technological advance, but their regulatory intent is well signposted.

This means the responsibility for safe and responsible AI will sit with organisations. I help them reap the benefits of innovation whilst balancing the associated risks and preparing for the anticipated regulatory requirements.

Fundamentally, AI risk is a human and behavioural problem, not just a technical one. Closing the gap is the work.

I am an Ambassador for the Association of Security Consultants and sit on its Academic Advisory and Engagement Committee. I have been a public servant since 2009. Helping organisations navigate these risks is how I continue to serve.