ESET's $40M AI Security Program: Protecting Autonomous Systems

ESET has launched a $40 million AI cybersecurity program. The initiative focuses on developing proprietary AI security models and protecting AI-driven systems. CEO Richard Marko announced the program in Berlin at ESET World 2026. What's interesting is the program highlights emerging risks from autonomous AI agents. It also references ESET’s OpenClaw research into malicious AI "skills." The investment targets three main areas. These include internally developed AI foundation models trained on cybersecurity data. It also covers layered protections for agent-to-agent and browser-to-LLM communication. New systems for enriching and categorizing XDR telemetry are also a focus. ESET also introduced early-stage LiveCortex development. This includes private-scanning tools and a network probe. The bottom line is this initiative addresses the growing need for AI-specific defenses and layered protections for autonomous systems.