When it comes to ensuring data security and compliance, manufacturers’ AI systems are woefully unprepared for hostile threats.
First, the good news. Manufacturing organizations are doing a good job in managing production-critical artificial intelligence controls for human oversight and real-time monitoring. But they’re “dangerously unprepared” for adversarial AI threats, regulatory scrutiny and supply chain failures — all elements that define risk exposure in 2026. That’s the conclusion of a new report from Kiteworks, surveying 225 security, IT, compliance and risk leaders. It contends that manufacturing AI systems haven’t awakened to the “adversarial and compliance realities of AI-driven production and supply chains.” On this episode, we delve into the details of the report with the help of Tim Freestone, chief strategy officer with Kiteworks. He lays out the biggest issues that manufacturers face today as they struggle to adopt AI, and what they must do to close the AI and supply chain gaps in security and compliance. Up to now, he says, the sector has focused on building AI governance “for reliability, not hostility.” As a result, it’s not ready to handle intentional threats. Hosted by Bob Bowman, Editor-in-Chief of SupplyChainBrain.
Show notes:
The Kiteworks report, “Data Security and Compliance Risk: 2026 Forecast.”
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