AI Adoption in Industry Constrained by Cybersecurity and IT/OT Gaps

Industrial sectors are increasing their use of artificial intelligence, but challenges related to cybersecurity and collaboration between IT and OT teams are limiting broader deployment.

Recent industry reports indicate that while manufacturers are investing in AI-enabled devices and cybersecurity solutions, the integration of these technologies is hindered by organizational and technical barriers. Only a small proportion of manufacturing firms have established collaborative teams that include both IT and OT decision-makers, which can impact the effectiveness of security measures and technology adoption.

Cybersecurity remains a leading area of planned investment, with 30% of manufacturing respondents prioritizing security solutions and 31% focusing on AI-enabled devices. However, operational technology environments continue to experience breaches, with a majority of incidents traced back to vulnerabilities in IT systems. Unpatched software and exposed remote-access protocols are among the common entry points for such breaches.

The cultural divide between IT and OT teams contributes to these challenges. Cybersecurity personnel typically focus on managing risk and protecting data, while OT operators emphasize maintaining safety, reliability, and continuous operation. This difference in priorities can result in gaps in security coverage and coordination.

What the numbers show

• 19% of manufacturing firms have collaborative IT/OT decision teams
• 87% of organizations identified AI-related vulnerabilities as the fastest-growing cyber risk in 2025
• 64% of organizations had structured AI security assessment processes by 2026, up from 37% in 2025
• 70% of recent OT breaches originated from IT systems

AI is also changing the cybersecurity landscape in industrial settings. The use of AI has made it easier for attackers to launch complex threats against OT environments, exposing weaknesses in visibility and coordination between IT and OT security teams. This trend has accelerated the need for improved collaboration and updated security protocols.

According to the Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026, a large majority of organizations now view AI-related vulnerabilities as a rapidly growing risk. Structured processes to assess the security of AI tools have become more common, with adoption rates increasing significantly over the past year.

Despite these improvements, the scale of AI adoption in industrial operations remains limited by ongoing cybersecurity concerns and the lack of integrated IT/OT management. Reports indicate that the pace of AI deployment is outpacing the ability of many organizations to secure their environments effectively.

Industry observers have stated that addressing these gaps is essential for realizing the full benefits of AI in industrial operations. The continued focus on cybersecurity investment and the development of collaborative IT/OT teams are seen as key steps in overcoming current limitations.

* This article is based on publicly available information at the time of writing.