Thoma Bravo's Seth Boro is warning that the rapid growth of artificial intelligence is making robust cybersecurity a necessity, not an option. He said strong security measures are needed to maintain trust in AI systems and to stop malicious actors from exploiting the technology. The risks, according to Boro, extend to both businesses and consumers.
Why Boro Is Raising the Alarm
Boro's concern centers on the speed at which AI is being adopted. As more companies fold AI into their products and operations, the attack surface grows with it. The same capabilities that make AI useful — automation, data processing, decision-making at scale — can be turned against the organizations deploying it if the underlying systems aren't secured.
He points to a trust problem. Without confidence that AI tools are protected, businesses won't adopt them widely, and consumers won't use them. That trust is fragile, and a single high-profile breach can undo years of adoption momentum.
The warning isn't abstract. Boro frames cybersecurity as a precondition for AI's continued expansion, not a box to check after deployment. The message lands as companies across sectors are moving AI from pilot programs into production systems that handle sensitive data and customer interactions.
The Consumer Side of the Risk
Boro's warning doesn't stop at the enterprise. Consumers interact with AI through chatbots, recommendation engines, and automated services, often without knowing it. When those systems are compromised, the fallout reaches everyday users — from manipulated outputs to exposed personal information.
That dual exposure is what makes the current moment different from earlier tech waves. The same AI models that power a business's customer service can be probed and exploited by outsiders. Security teams are left trying to defend systems whose behavior is sometimes hard to predict.
Boro's point is that the defense has to be built in from the start. Bolting on security after an AI product ships leaves gaps that attackers can find.
What Stronger Security Would Require
Maintaining trust means more than firewalls. It means monitoring how AI systems behave, controlling who can access them, and making sure the data they learn from isn't poisoned or leaked. For businesses, that translates to investment in security teams, tools, and processes that keep pace with AI deployment.
That's an uncomfortable message for companies racing to ship AI features. Security work doesn't generate headlines, and it can slow releases. But Boro's argument is that skipping it creates a bigger risk down the line — one that can damage customer relationships and regulatory standing.
For consumers, the implication is simpler: the AI services they use are only as trustworthy as the security behind them. Boro's warning suggests that trust has to be earned and maintained, not assumed.
The Unresolved Question
What's less clear is how quickly the industry will act on Boro's warning. Thoma Bravo is a private equity firm with a large software portfolio, and its views carry weight among the companies it backs. But the broader market for AI security is still taking shape, and standards for securing AI systems are uneven across sectors.
Boro's comments put the issue on the record at a time when AI adoption is accelerating. Whether that translates into concrete security requirements — or remains a talking point — is the question companies and consumers will be watching. The next test will come as more AI products reach the market and the first serious security failures, if they happen, force the issue.
