Agentic AI Risks, CVE Program Concerns Permeate Black Hat USA 2026

Black Hat USA 2026 highlighted significant concerns surrounding the evolving cybersecurity landscape in the age of artificial intelligence. The conference focused on the potential disruption to the CVE program due to AI-powered vulnerability discovery, raising questions about whether existing systems can adequately handle the volume and accuracy of reports. Alongside this, there was considerable discussion about the government's approach to AI regulation, with a notable tension between encouraging innovation and mitigating potential risks. Experts debated the impact of AI on both offensive and defensive capabilities, with a growing awareness of quiet, low-and-slow AI attacks alongside the high-profile incidents involving rogue AI agents. Several proposed solutions were discussed, including VulnOps, a custody framework, and the emergence of ‘purple teaming’ as a new defensive approach.