AI is speeding up both attackers and defenders. The goal is not speed alone. The goal is speed with trust. 

In this episode of ClearTech Loop, Jo Peterson sits down with Stefano Righi, Chief Security Architect at American Megatrends, for a hot take conversation on what AI is changing inside security programs. Stefano breaks down how GenAI can move teams beyond reactive, tool centric security into anticipatory defense through predictive threat modeling, dynamic risk assessment, and orchestration. He also explains what secure by design means for AI systems, including privacy, adversarial resiliency, prompt injection, and data poisoning, plus why human oversight still matters. The conversation closes on firmware security below the operating system and why governance aligned to standards becomes an accelerator, not paperwork. 

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Key Quotes 

• “Governance may act as a catalyst, not as a brake to innovation, enabling innovation while ensuring trust.” — Stefano Righi 
• “From the very start, we need to pursue secure by design for AI model… build privacy and adversarial resiliency into AI life cycles… mitigate risk like prompt injection and data poisoning without slowing innovation.” — Stefano Righi 
• “Firmware runs under the operating system, and any attack that could happen at such layer could go undetected by any antivirus solution running in the operating system.” — Stefano Righi 

Three Big Ideas from This Episode 

1. Governance accelerates trusted AI adoption 
   Governance is not paperwork. Done right, it enables innovation while ensuring trust, and it must be cross functional rather than owned by security alone. 
2. Secure by design has to include AI systems 
   Privacy and adversarial resiliency belong in the AI lifecycle from the start, with attention to risks like prompt injection and data poisoning, plus human oversight to ensure compliance and prevent misuse. 
3. Firmware is a visibility blind spot below the OS 
   Platform layers from microcode to BIOS to BMC to Root of Trust create real complexity, and attacks below the OS can bypass controls that security leaders rely on for visibility. 

Episode Notes / Links 

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Resources Mentioned 

• ClearTech Loop: The CSA AI Safety Initiative with George Finney https://cleartechresearch.com/the-csa-ai-safety-initiative-with-george-finney/  
• NIST AI Standards: https://www.nist.gov/artificial-intelligence/ai-standards   
• OWASP guidance for AI: https://owasp.org/www-project-ai-security-and-privacy-guide/  
• CSA: How Generative AI is Reshaping Zero Trust Security https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/blog/2026/01/09/how-generative-ai-is-reshaping-zero-trust-security  

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