Securing the Frontier: Navigating Threats and Governance in the Age of Generative and Agentic AI

Title of the Talk: Securing the Frontier: Navigating Threats and Governance in the Age of Generative and Agentic AI
Speakers: Prof. Sandeep K. Shukla, Director, IIIT Hyderabad
Organisers Computer Center, Center for Cryptography and Cybersecurity (CCS@IITH), and Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Hyderabad
Date: February 11, 2026
Time: 4:00 PM
Venue: LHC-04, IIT Hyderabad

Abstract

As artificial intelligence transitions from content-generating Generative AI (GenAI) to autonomous, multi-step Agentic AI, the landscape of enterprise opportunities—ranging from operations automation to fraud detection—is expanding rapidly. However, this evolution introduces significant “double-edged sword” risks, where AI serves as both a powerful tool for defenders and a sophisticated weapon for attackers.

This talk explores the critical security challenges inherent in AI-based systems, including model hallucinations, prompt injection, data poisoning, and the emergence of malicious generative frameworks such as MalGEN. The session will also discuss the global regulatory landscape, highlighting key frameworks such as India’s RBI ethical principles, the EU AI Act, and NIST’s AI Risk Management Framework. Attendees will gain insights into a Secure AI Development Lifecycle, emphasizing human-in-the-loop (HITL) oversight, continuous red-teaming, and robust explainability standards. By balancing innovation with rigorous technical safeguards and risk-based governance, organizations can enable the safe adoption of GenAI while ensuring systemic trustworthiness.

Bio

Prof. Sandeep Kumar Shukla is currently the Director of IIIT Hyderabad. Before joining IIIT Hyderabad in August 2025, he served as the Rajiv and Ritu Batra Chair Professor of Cybersecurity at IIT Kanpur. He has been with IIT Kanpur since 2015, and prior to that he was a faculty member at Virginia Tech (2002–2015). Earlier in his career, he worked at GTE Labs, Intel Corporation, and the University of California at Irvine. He is an IEEE Fellow and a past Editor-in-Chief of ACM Transactions on Embedded Computer Systems. His primary research interests include cybersecurity of critical infrastructure, blockchain technology, and cybersecurity governance, risk, and compliance.