AI Appreciation Day spotlights progress, pitfalls & path ahead
AI Appreciation Day offers an important opportunity to reflect on both the achievements and the challenges presented by artificial intelligence, with experts from across technology, legal, and cybersecurity sectors weighing in on AI's expanding impact and the responsible paths forward.
Rob Newell, Group Vice President Solutions Consulting, Asia Pacific and Japan at New Relic, notes that artificial intelligence is increasingly woven into the operational fabric of organisations throughout the Asia Pacific region. "The value that organisations receive by augmenting human capabilities with AI are clear: there's significant cost and productivity efficiencies that help businesses unlock new frontiers of innovation," Newell observes. However, he warns that successful integration of AI demands a fundamental rethinking of technology architecture, as the costs associated with developing and operating AI tools remain considerable and unpredictable. "Organisations that win in our inevitable AI-enabled future won't necessarily be the ones with the best ideas; instead, the winners will be those that have figured out how to effectively balance cost, value, and performance," he adds.
Newell emphasises the importance of observability - the process of monitoring and understanding systems - as crucial in this new AI-driven era. Traditionally, observability has enabled organisations to detect anomalies and optimise performance, but the rise of AI is forcing an evolution: "The next phase of observability will be preventive, self-healing, and autonomous," providing real-time insights not only for troubleshooting but also for cost management and risk mitigation.
In the cybersecurity sector, Ivan Novikov, CEO of Wallarm, underscores the foundational role of APIs in powering AI innovation. "APIs are the backbone of AI, enabling seamless integration, data sharing, and collaboration across platforms. However, with this power comes responsibility," he states. Cyber risks grow in tandem with AI's complexity, making robust security frameworks essential to foster trust and ensure the ethical use of AI. Novikov urges the industry to uphold these commitments as AI's footprint grows.
Stuart McClure, CEO of Qwiet AI, highlights the broad societal benefits of AI, from powering everyday consumer experiences to accelerating medical discoveries and environmental solutions. "AI is quietly powering many of the tools and services we use every day... flying drones, optimising traffic in our cities, accelerating science, and even helping doctors diagnose diseases more accurately," he says. Still, McClure cautions against overlooking ethical questions around transparency, privacy, and bias, insisting that careful governance is necessary to ensure AI remains a force for good.
On the more cautious side, Naomi Buckwalter, AI Security Strategist at Contrast Security, raises concerns over the growing reliance on AI-generated code. She warns that delegating more engineering tasks to AI increases the risk of unchecked vulnerabilities. "You can never have all three: Good, Fast, Cheap. The old axiom still holds true, even in the age of AI," Buckwalter remarks, urging the software sector to remain vigilant over quality and security.
Andre Piazza from BforeAI draws attention to the less visible but vital contributions of predictive AI, notably in cybersecurity. Predictive AI, he explains, can forecast cyberattacks before they occur and identify online threats like phishing sites targeting consumers: "Unlike its generative counterpart, predictive AI anticipates what will come next... enabling defenders to automate their responses to threats." Piazza highlights that these systems leverage public data while protecting privacy and generating valuable security insights.
The legal industry has also undergone a profound transformation, according to Greg Ingino, Chief Technology Officer at Litera. He explains that generative AI has "accelerated the ability to enhance productivity in legal services," supporting the move towards alternative fee arrangements and deeper client value through automated retrieval and reasoning. Ingino underscores that while AI's impact on sector efficiency is undeniable, legal technology must comply with strict security and transparency standards to protect data and ensure human oversight.
From a technical operations viewpoint, Jimmy Mesta, Co-Founder and CTO of RAD Security, asserts that AI has become essential for cybersecurity teams tasked with handling vast volumes of alerts and data. "AI is now actually the only way teams can keep up. Instead of clumsy rules, AI can spot patterns and connect events... and take action fast enough to matter," he explains.
Josh Mason, CTO of RecordPoint, views the enterprise-wide adoption of AI as a pivotal business transformation - but one that hinges on robust data governance. He notes that without a focus on understanding sensitive data and ethical management, businesses risk stalling at basic implementation: "Signing up for a company Copilot or Chat GPT license isn't enough - it doesn't manage your risk. You have to make sure you are governing your data and using the technology responsibly and ethically." Mason believes organisations prioritising data governance and responsible AI integration will be best placed to succeed.
The consensus across sectors is that AI is now deeply integrated into modern business and society, reshaping industries from legal services to security operations. As AI Appreciation Day highlights the remarkable advances thus far, it also acts as a reminder that the ultimate goal must remain balancing benefits while maintaining rigorous standards for cost efficiency, security, ethical use, and governance. The coming years will test organisations' abilities to tread this fine line, ensuring that AI continues to drive value without unforeseen risks.
