AI is changing security budgets and team plans, but surveyed CISOs are more likely to expect greater team capacity and new skills than near-term headcount cuts. In a 2026 benchmark from IANS and Artico Search, 91% of respondents expected AI to make security teams more productive over the next 12 months, while 69% did not expect it to reduce existing security headcount. Those are expectations reported by more than 500 security executives—not proof that AI has caused a particular staffing outcome.
That distinction is central to Dark Reading Associate Editor Kristina Beek’s October 6, 2026, interview with Nick Kakolowski, IANS’ senior director for CISO research. His account is of a market in transition: business leaders are adopting AI quickly, while security leaders are working out how to support that adoption, fund defenses, and reorganize work. Watch the Dark Reading interview for the full conversation; its transcript is edited for clarity and length.
What does AI mean for CISO budgets?
AI is a leading stated priority for new security spending, but that does not mean security budgets are growing rapidly overall. The IANS and Artico Search 2026 Security Budget Benchmark Report found average security budgets grew 5% in 2026. At the same time, 45% of surveyed organizations reported flat budgets and 10% reported a decrease. The results describe the benchmark’s respondents, not every organization or region.
Among respondents, 69% named AI for security as their top priority for net-new security dollars. Kakolowski also describes a change in how CISOs make the case for spending: requests increasingly need to fit business conditions and revenue plans, not just threat headlines. He put it this way: “So instead of these swings in security budget growth, we’re actually really seeing it be much more tied to the macro environment and to the specific business revenue environment.”
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AI funding may sit outside the security budget
Security leaders may be responsible for AI-related risk without controlling all the money spent on AI. IANS’ report page says 76% of organizations still lack a distinct AI budget line, and 38% fund AI security entirely through IT, data, or innovation budgets. In the benchmark’s reported breakdown, organizations with a dedicated AI line or subcategory more often reported increased AI funding—about 70%—than organizations with AI embedded in the security budget (42%) or funded through IT, data, or innovation budgets (31%). These are survey-reported comparisons, not evidence that one budget structure causes higher investment.
The report page also says AI security tooling represents 3% of the average security budget, while software overall accounts for 35%, two percentage points behind staff and compensation. The categories matter: spending on tools to defend the organization with AI is not the same as spending to secure employees’ or business units’ adoption of AI.
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Budget growth reflects business context
Among CISOs reporting budget growth, 48% cited increased business or operational risk as a driver, compared with 3% who cited a major industry breach. Looking ahead, 64% expected a security-budget increase in 2027 and 8% anticipated a cut, according to the same benchmark. For context, its report page presents average security-budget growth of 17% in 2022, 4% in 2025, and 5% in 2026. These figures reflect different years in the report’s presentation, not a forecast of what any individual organization will spend.
Will AI reduce security headcount?
Most respondents did not expect AI to shrink existing security teams in the near term: 69% said they did not expect AI to reduce headcount. That figure concerns expectations, not observed layoffs or a causal finding. Kakolowski says many CISOs see AI first as a way to handle work their teams lack the bandwidth to do, and as an opportunity to redirect resources toward operational or technology debt.
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The work itself may change. Kakolowski describes automation of tier-one security operations center (SOC) tasks and some tier-two work, with entry-level employees needing upskilling and experienced staff taking on more nuanced decisions. That is a description of current market thinking, not a guaranteed outcome for every SOC. IANS Faculty and Artico Search partner Steve Martano similarly said: “More AI and automation embedded in security workflows has not led to massive layoffs, but it has led to the repurposing of team members and a change in hiring and resourcing.”
What skills and roles may change?
In the 2026 benchmark, 81% of CISOs expected AI to create demand for new security roles and skills. The likely implication is not simply “fewer analysts”; it is a shift in the balance between routine execution and work requiring judgment, context, and oversight. Organizations may need people who can evaluate AI-assisted outputs, secure AI adoption across the business, and connect technical risks to organizational decisions. The survey reports expectations, not a definitive list of roles or a measured employment forecast.
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Kakolowski says organizations vary widely in AI maturity even as business executives move quickly. He describes security leaders shifting from resisting AI outright to helping secure its adoption. That transition can change staffing plans, team organization, and how an organization defines security maturity.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How should a CISO frame an AI budget request?
IANS guidance recommends tying security plans to organizational growth, innovation, risk appetite, AI initiatives, and measurable returns. A useful planning framework is to distinguish the purpose of the spend, who controls it, and how success will be judged. This is a way to organize a budget discussion, not a tested ranking of budget approaches.
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|---|---|
| Is AI funding a distinct line, embedded in security, or held by IT, data, or innovation? | The funding structure can determine who approves spending and whether the CISO has direct budget control. |
| Is the investment for AI-enabled defense or to secure business AI adoption? | These are related but different needs, and may involve different owners and controls. |
| Is the intended result more staff capacity, lower risk, or business enablement? | A clear outcome helps connect the request to organizational priorities rather than treating AI as a goal by itself. |
| How will the organization measure success? | Define relevant measures such as money saved through automation, return on investment, risk appetite, or the development of needed skills. |
IANS Faculty guidance also recommends presenting a “good vs. good enough” plan and documenting savings from automation. Martano’s warning is that savings need evidence: “If you don’t come armed with that data, particularly on the money saved and the ROI, the response is going to be, ‘we’ll just use AI to solve it,’ and that’s going to be it.”
What the benchmark can—and cannot—show
IANS and Artico Search say the 2026 benchmark includes responses from more than 500 security executives at organizations of different sizes and industries. The accessible materials do not establish the full sampling frame, geography, or weighting methodology. Treat the percentages as survey findings from those respondents, not representative rates for all CISOs. They also do not prove that AI itself caused budget changes, productivity gains, or staffing decisions.
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