Mike Bruchanski, Chief Product Officer at HiddenLayer, brings over 20 years of expertise in product improvement and engineering to the corporate. In his function, Bruchanski is liable for shaping HiddenLayer’s product technique, overseeing the event pipeline, and driving innovation to assist organizations adopting generative and predictive AI.
HiddenLayer is the main supplier of safety for AI. Its safety platform helps enterprises safeguard the machine studying fashions behind their most essential merchandise. HiddenLayer is the one firm to supply turnkey safety for AI that doesn’t add pointless complexity to fashions and doesn’t require entry to uncooked information and algorithms. Based by a crew with deep roots in safety and ML, HiddenLayer goals to guard enterprise AI from inference, bypass, extraction assaults, and mannequin theft.
You’ve had a powerful profession journey throughout product administration and AI safety. What impressed you to hitch HiddenLayer, and the way does this function align together with your private {and professional} targets?
I’ve at all times been drawn to fixing new and sophisticated issues, significantly the place cutting-edge know-how meets sensible software. Over the course of my profession, which has spanned aerospace, cybersecurity, and industrial automation, I’ve had the chance to pioneer revolutionary makes use of of AI and navigate the distinctive challenges that include it.
At HiddenLayer, these two worlds—AI innovation and safety—intersect in a method that’s each vital and thrilling. I acknowledged that AI’s potential is transformative, however its vulnerabilities are sometimes underestimated. At HiddenLayer, I’m in a position to leverage my experience to guard this know-how whereas enabling organizations to deploy it confidently and responsibly. It’s the right alignment of my technical background and keenness for driving impactful, scalable options.
What are probably the most vital adversarial threats concentrating on AI programs at present, and the way can organizations proactively mitigate these dangers?
The speedy adoption of AI throughout industries has created new alternatives for cyber threats, very like we noticed with the rise of related units. A few of these threats embrace mannequin theft and inversion assaults, during which attackers extract delicate data or reverse-engineer AI fashions, doubtlessly exposing proprietary information or mental property.
To proactively tackle these dangers, organizations must embed safety at each stage of the AI lifecycle. This consists of guaranteeing information integrity, safeguarding fashions in opposition to exploitation, and adopting options that concentrate on defending AI programs with out undermining their performance or efficiency. Safety should evolve alongside AI, and proactive measures at present are the perfect protection in opposition to tomorrow’s threats.
How does HiddenLayer’s method to AI safety differ from conventional cybersecurity strategies, and why is it significantly efficient for generative AI fashions?
Conventional cybersecurity strategies focus totally on securing networks and endpoints. HiddenLayer, nevertheless, takes a model-centric method, recognizing that AI programs themselves signify a singular and beneficial assault floor. Not like standard approaches, HiddenLayer secures AI fashions straight, addressing vulnerabilities like mannequin inversion, information poisoning, and adversarial manipulation. This focused safety ensures that the core asset—the AI itself—is safeguarded.
Moreover, HiddenLayer designs options tailor-made to real-world challenges. Our light-weight, non-invasive know-how integrates seamlessly into present workflows, guaranteeing fashions stay protected with out compromising their efficiency. This method is especially efficient for generative AI fashions, which face heightened dangers corresponding to information leakage or unauthorized manipulation. By specializing in the AI itself, HiddenLayer units a brand new normal for securing the way forward for machine studying.
What are the largest challenges organizations face when integrating AI safety into their present cybersecurity infrastructure?
Organizations face a number of vital challenges when making an attempt to combine AI safety into their present frameworks. First, many organizations battle with a data hole, as understanding the complexities of AI programs and their vulnerabilities requires specialised experience that isn’t at all times obtainable in-house. Second, there’s usually stress to undertake AI shortly to stay aggressive, however speeding to deploy options with out correct safety measures can result in long-term vulnerabilities. Lastly, balancing the necessity for sturdy safety with sustaining mannequin efficiency is a fragile problem. Organizations should be certain that any safety measures they implement don’t negatively affect the performance or accuracy of their AI programs.
To deal with these challenges, organizations want a mixture of training, strategic planning, and entry to specialised instruments. HiddenLayer supplies options that seamlessly combine safety into the AI lifecycle, enabling organizations to concentrate on innovation with out exposing themselves to pointless danger.
How does HiddenLayer guarantee its options stay light-weight and non-invasive whereas offering sturdy safety for AI fashions?
Our design philosophy prioritizes each effectiveness and operational simplicity. HiddenLayer’s options are API-driven, permitting for straightforward integration into present AI workflows with out vital disruption. We concentrate on monitoring and defending AI fashions in actual time, avoiding alterations to their construction or efficiency.
Moreover, our know-how is designed to be environment friendly and scalable, functioning seamlessly throughout numerous environments, whether or not on-premises, within the cloud, or in hybrid setups. By adhering to those rules, we be certain that our prospects can safeguard their AI programs with out including pointless complexity to their operations.
How does HiddenLayer’s Automated Pink Teaming answer streamline vulnerability testing for AI programs, and what industries have benefited most from this?
HiddenLayer’s Automated Pink Teaming leverages superior strategies to simulate real-world adversarial assaults on AI programs. This permits organizations to:
- Determine vulnerabilities early: By understanding how attackers may goal their fashions, organizations can tackle weaknesses earlier than they’re exploited.
- Speed up testing cycles: Automation reduces the time and sources wanted for complete safety assessments.
- Adapt to evolving threats: Our answer constantly updates to account for rising assault vectors.
Industries like finance, healthcare, manufacturing, protection, and important infrastructure—the place AI fashions deal with delicate information or drive important operations—have seen the best advantages. These sectors demand sturdy safety with out sacrificing reliability, making HiddenLayer’s method significantly impactful.
As Chief Product Officer, how do you foster a data-driven tradition in your product groups, and the way does that translate to higher safety options for purchasers?
At HiddenLayer, our product philosophy is rooted in three pillars:
- Final result-oriented improvement: We begin with the tip purpose in thoughts, guaranteeing that our merchandise ship tangible worth for purchasers.
- Information-driven decision-making: Feelings and opinions usually run excessive in startup environments. To chop by way of the noise, we depend on empirical proof to information our choices, monitoring every part from product efficiency to market success.
- Holistic considering: We encourage groups to view the product lifecycle as a system, contemplating every part from improvement to advertising and marketing and gross sales.
By embedding these rules, we’ve created a tradition that prioritizes relevance, effectiveness, and flexibility. This not solely improves our product choices however ensures we’re constantly addressing the real-world safety challenges our prospects face.
What recommendation would you give organizations hesitant to undertake AI attributable to safety issues?
For organizations cautious of adopting AI attributable to safety issues, it’s essential to take a strategic and measured method. Start by constructing a powerful basis of safe information pipelines and sturdy governance practices to make sure information integrity and privateness. Begin small, piloting AI in particular, managed use circumstances the place it may well ship measurable worth with out exposing vital programs. Leverage the experience of trusted companions to handle AI-specific safety wants and bridge inner data gaps. Lastly, steadiness innovation with warning by thoughtfully deploying AI to reap its advantages whereas managing potential dangers successfully. With the proper preparation, organizations can confidently embrace AI with out compromising safety.
How does the current U.S. Government Order on AI Security and the EU AI Act affect HiddenLayer’s methods and product choices?
Current rules just like the EU AI Act spotlight the rising emphasis on accountable AI deployment. At HiddenLayer, we have now proactively aligned our options to assist compliance with these evolving requirements. Our instruments allow organizations to exhibit adherence to AI security necessities by way of complete monitoring and reporting.
We additionally actively collaborate with regulatory our bodies to form trade requirements and tackle the distinctive dangers related to AI. By staying forward of regulatory tendencies, we guarantee our prospects can innovate responsibly and stay compliant in an more and more complicated panorama.
What gaps within the present AI safety panorama must be addressed urgently, and the way does HiddenLayer plan to sort out these?
The AI safety panorama faces two pressing gaps. First, AI fashions are beneficial property that must be shielded from theft, reverse engineering, and manipulation. HiddenLayer is main efforts to safe fashions in opposition to these threats by way of revolutionary options. Second, conventional safety instruments are sometimes ill-equipped to handle AI-specific vulnerabilities, creating a necessity for specialised risk detection capabilities.
To deal with these challenges, HiddenLayer combines cutting-edge analysis with steady product evolution and market training. By specializing in mannequin safety and tailor-made risk detection, we intention to offer organizations with the instruments they should deploy AI securely and confidently.
Thanks for the good interview, readers who want to be taught extra ought to go to HiddenLayer.