At Black Hat USA 2025, artificial intelligence wasn’t the shiny new thing — it was the baseline. Nearly every product launch, feature update, and hallway conversation had an “AI-powered” stamp on it. But when AI becomes the lowest common denominator for security, the questions shift.
In this episode, I read my latest opinion piece exploring what happens when the tools we build to protect us are the same ones that can obscure reality — or rewrite it entirely. Drawing from the Lock Note discussion, Jennifer Granick’s keynote on threat modeling and constitutional law, my own CISO hallway conversations, and a deep review of 60+ vendor announcements, I examine the operational, legal, and governance risks that emerge when speed and scale take priority over transparency and accountability.
We talk about model poisoning — not just in the technical sense, but in how our industry narrative can get corrupted by hype and shallow problem-solving. We look at the dangers of replacing entry-level security roles with black-box automation, where a single model misstep can cascade into thousands of bad calls at machine speed. And yes, we address the potential liability for CISOs and executives who let it happen without oversight.
Using Mikko Hyppönen’s “Game of Tetris” metaphor, I explore how successes vanish quietly while failures pile up for all to see — and why in the AI era, that stack can build faster than ever.
If AI is everywhere, what defines the premium layer above the baseline? How do we ensure we can still define success, measure it accurately, and prove it when challenged?
Listen in, and then join the conversation: Can you trust the “reality” your systems present — and can you prove it?
________
This story represents the results of an interactive collaboration between Human Cognition and Artificial Intelligence.
Enjoy, think, share with others, and subscribe to "The Future of Cybersecurity" newsletter on LinkedIn.
Sincerely, Sean Martin and TAPE3
________
✦ Resources
Article: When Artificial Intelligence Becomes the Baseline: Will We Even Know What Reality Is AInymore?https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/when-artificial-intelligence-becomes-baseline-we-even-martin-cissp-4idqe/
The Future of Cybersecurity Article: How Novel Is Novelty? Security Leaders Try To Cut Through the Cybersecurity Vendor Echo Chamber at Black Hat 2025: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-novel-novelty-security-leaders-try-cut-through-sean-martin-cissp-xtune/
Black Hat 2025 On Location Closing Recap Video with Sean Martin, CISSP and Marco Ciappelli: https://youtu.be/13xP-LEwtEA
Learn more and catch more stories from our Black Hat USA 2025 coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/bhusa25
Article: When Virtual Reality Is A Commodity, Will True Reality Come At A Premium? https://sean-martin.medium.com/when-virtual-reality-is-a-commodity-will-true-reality-come-at-a-premium-4a97bccb4d72
Catch all of our event coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/technology-and-cybersecurity-conference-coverage
ITSPmagazine Studio — A Brand & Marketing Advisory for Cybersecurity and Tech Companies: https://www.itspmagazine.studio/
ITSPmagazine Webinar: What’s Heating Up Before Black Hat 2025: Place Your Bet on the Top Trends Set to Shake Up this Year’s Hacker Conference — An ITSPmagazine Thought Leadership Webinar | https://www.crowdcast.io/c/whats-heating-up-before-black-hat-2025-place-your-bet-on-the-top-trends-set-to-shake-up-this-years-hacker-conference
________
Sean Martin is a life-long musician and the host of the Music Evolves Podcast; a career technologist, cybersecurity professional, and host of the Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast; and is also the co-host of both the Random and Unscripted Podcast and On Location Event Coverage Podcast. These shows are all part of ITSPmagazine—which he co-founded with his good friend Marco Ciappelli, to explore and discuss topics at The Intersection of Technology, Cybersecurity, and Society.™️
Want to connect with Sean and Marco On Location at an event or conference near you? See where they will be next: https://www.itspmagazine.com/on-location
To learn more about Sean, visit his personal website.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
View all episodes
By Sean Martin, ITSPmagazine
5
33 ratings
At Black Hat USA 2025, artificial intelligence wasn’t the shiny new thing — it was the baseline. Nearly every product launch, feature update, and hallway conversation had an “AI-powered” stamp on it. But when AI becomes the lowest common denominator for security, the questions shift.
In this episode, I read my latest opinion piece exploring what happens when the tools we build to protect us are the same ones that can obscure reality — or rewrite it entirely. Drawing from the Lock Note discussion, Jennifer Granick’s keynote on threat modeling and constitutional law, my own CISO hallway conversations, and a deep review of 60+ vendor announcements, I examine the operational, legal, and governance risks that emerge when speed and scale take priority over transparency and accountability.
We talk about model poisoning — not just in the technical sense, but in how our industry narrative can get corrupted by hype and shallow problem-solving. We look at the dangers of replacing entry-level security roles with black-box automation, where a single model misstep can cascade into thousands of bad calls at machine speed. And yes, we address the potential liability for CISOs and executives who let it happen without oversight.
Using Mikko Hyppönen’s “Game of Tetris” metaphor, I explore how successes vanish quietly while failures pile up for all to see — and why in the AI era, that stack can build faster than ever.
If AI is everywhere, what defines the premium layer above the baseline? How do we ensure we can still define success, measure it accurately, and prove it when challenged?
Listen in, and then join the conversation: Can you trust the “reality” your systems present — and can you prove it?
________
This story represents the results of an interactive collaboration between Human Cognition and Artificial Intelligence.
Enjoy, think, share with others, and subscribe to "The Future of Cybersecurity" newsletter on LinkedIn.
Sincerely, Sean Martin and TAPE3
________
✦ Resources
Article: When Artificial Intelligence Becomes the Baseline: Will We Even Know What Reality Is AInymore?https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/when-artificial-intelligence-becomes-baseline-we-even-martin-cissp-4idqe/
The Future of Cybersecurity Article: How Novel Is Novelty? Security Leaders Try To Cut Through the Cybersecurity Vendor Echo Chamber at Black Hat 2025: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-novel-novelty-security-leaders-try-cut-through-sean-martin-cissp-xtune/
Black Hat 2025 On Location Closing Recap Video with Sean Martin, CISSP and Marco Ciappelli: https://youtu.be/13xP-LEwtEA
Learn more and catch more stories from our Black Hat USA 2025 coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/bhusa25
Article: When Virtual Reality Is A Commodity, Will True Reality Come At A Premium? https://sean-martin.medium.com/when-virtual-reality-is-a-commodity-will-true-reality-come-at-a-premium-4a97bccb4d72
Catch all of our event coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/technology-and-cybersecurity-conference-coverage
ITSPmagazine Studio — A Brand & Marketing Advisory for Cybersecurity and Tech Companies: https://www.itspmagazine.studio/
ITSPmagazine Webinar: What’s Heating Up Before Black Hat 2025: Place Your Bet on the Top Trends Set to Shake Up this Year’s Hacker Conference — An ITSPmagazine Thought Leadership Webinar | https://www.crowdcast.io/c/whats-heating-up-before-black-hat-2025-place-your-bet-on-the-top-trends-set-to-shake-up-this-years-hacker-conference
________
Sean Martin is a life-long musician and the host of the Music Evolves Podcast; a career technologist, cybersecurity professional, and host of the Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast; and is also the co-host of both the Random and Unscripted Podcast and On Location Event Coverage Podcast. These shows are all part of ITSPmagazine—which he co-founded with his good friend Marco Ciappelli, to explore and discuss topics at The Intersection of Technology, Cybersecurity, and Society.™️
Want to connect with Sean and Marco On Location at an event or conference near you? See where they will be next: https://www.itspmagazine.com/on-location
To learn more about Sean, visit his personal website.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
370 Listeners
373 Listeners
638 Listeners
322 Listeners
31 Listeners
8,001 Listeners
175 Listeners
313 Listeners
188 Listeners
73 Listeners
134 Listeners
5,472 Listeners
16,144 Listeners
13 Listeners
2 Listeners
159 Listeners
4 Listeners
0 Listeners