Research shows that the AI networking market is expected to increase to $192 billion during the next decade, up from $15 billion today. This represents a year-over-year jump of more than 30% and is only the start of AI’s future in networking. Networking AI, which has the potential to enhance business operations significantly, requires highly responsive connections to transact massive amounts of data processing.
Autonomous Digital Experience Management (ADEM) tools monitor network speeds at any given moment to keep on top of customer engagement. This tool preemptively seeks out possible problems using predictive modeling. Software programs known as AI-trained agents assist IT professionals in diagnosing issues more quickly with the help of natural language processing (NLP) to source potential security risks.
Despite its advantages, adopting AI-enabled networking tools also comes with its own set of issues and risks, including cybersecurity. This article will detail the risks and issues of adopting AI in networking and strategies to diminish those challenges.
Advantages of AI-enabled networking
Networking AI streamlines the process of monitoring and enhancing network operations for any business, providing a host of benefits to productivity and cybersecurity, including:
- Improved risk detection: AI assists with identifying atypical patterns that may result from malicious software.
- Increased speed: AI helps channel web traffic using predictive modeling, which targets and resolves possible issues before they affect users.
- Natural language diagnostics: IT teams can rapidly assess the network using NLP prompts.
- Enhanced optimization: AI diminishes dependence on non-automated processes and helps address problematic IT skills deficits.
- Visibility: Get better insight on traffic, users, and devices.
Learn more: AI powers the next generation of networking
Avoiding obstacles during implementation
The sheer size of a corporate entity means it takes time to shift gears, particularly when adopting new, enterprise-wide technology. However, some organizations are adopting generative AI (GenAI) before they have the necessary strategies and policies to support the technology.
According to a 2024 Juniper Networks study, 87% of survey respondents said they are under pressure to implement AI. Too often, in-house IT teams lack the skill set to adopt AI securely. Plus, company-wide networks are becoming more and more elaborate as dispersed workforces are now commonplace and IoT devices are now standard. These also represent infiltration points for cyber criminals if they aren’t appropriately overseen.
All network AI tools should be able to manage privacy and compliance requirements, particularly in industries with stringent regulations, such as finance. Additionally, these tools should manage and route users and their devices securely.
AI in networking comes with critical risks
Validity: Hallucinations, the incorrect results that AI can produce when it misconstrues data, are the primary complication users face when they employ AI to accomplish tasks. Unreliable training models can result in unintentional contamination of AI-generated data. More than 85% of those who participated in the Juniper Networks study also expressed doubt in verifying AI-produced results.
The potential for more cyber threats: Cyber criminals are particularly innovative when it comes to capitalizing on AI to bolster the efficacy and number of successful attacks.
Privacy: Implementing AI at scale can also lead to concerns surrounding the protection of both proprietary company information and confidential customer data.
Training and cultural initiatives: With AI implementation often comes the employee assumption that they will soon be out of a job. Team members may even be dis-inclined to acquire new AI skills. So, organization executives must signal the direction for AI implementation, including ongoing training opportunities.
Navigating the issues that come with AI in networking
Enhancing the performance of networking AI means attracting and retaining professionals with the right skillset, increasing the cache of current AI tools, expanding training and educational opportunities, and having stringent corporate governance guidelines in place.
Using GenAI tools that scrape data from external sources like websites requires the consideration of presumptive prejudices, facilitating a comprehensive awareness of model testing, user engagement, and data usage. Veracity and dependability can be considerably enhanced with human-in-the-loop solutions as well as retrieval augmented generation (RAG).
AI network tools circumvent the validation issues of many AI models as they learn exclusively from data housed on the network, which can instantly be substantiated. Explicit guidelines around AI tools must be created, specifying permissible and prohibited software. Clearly convey the guidelines to employees to ensure they know the prescribed framework—especially regarding providing proprietary data to a public LLM.
Establish a master plan for deep defense to diminish the potential risks of AI-generated weaknesses. Multi-factor authentication diminishes potential credential misuse and preserves the strength of the network’s security, access controls, monitoring, and segmentation. Regular penetration tests are critical to identifying and responding to other network weaknesses before bad actors use them to their advantage.
Learn more: AI in secure cloud networking: Current and emerging use cases
OnX can support your network AI integration
OnX partners with the industry’s most advanced network providers to offer clients the right solutions and tools for their network AI integration. OnX gives you a complete network overview so you can improve cybersecurity, performance, and user satisfaction. We know having total visibility into your network is essential in the modern digital environment. OnX solutions provide a unified view of the network on a single dashboard—allowing you to quickly recognize issues, enhance resource allotment, and improve performance efficacy.
Leveraging AI prepares your business to enhance its innovation and expand. By partnering with OnX, your organization’s AI journey will be a streamlined experience that will help you realize your business goals faster.
Contact us to start integrating AI into your network and find out how OnX can customize our services to best suit your business.
