Educating for AI Cybersecurity Work and Research: Ethics, Systems Thinking, and Communication Requirements

The present study explored managerial and instructor perceptions of their freshly employed cybersecurity workers' or students' preparedness to work effectively in a changing cybersecurity environment that includes AI tools. Specifically, we related perceptions of technical preparedness to ethical, systems thinking, and communication skills. We found that managers and professors perceive preparedness to use AI tools in cybersecurity to be significantly associated with all three non-technical skill sets. Most important, ethics is a clear leader in the network of relationships. Contrary to expectations that ethical concerns are left behind in the rush to adopt the most advanced AI tools in security, both higher education instructors and managers appreciate their role and see them closely associated with technical prowess. Another significant finding is that professors over-estimate students' preparedness for ethical, system thinking, and communication abilities compared to IT managers' perceptions of their newly employed IT workers.

Artificial Intelligence Ethics Education in Cybersecurity: Challenges and Opportunities: a focus group report

The emergence of AI tools in cybersecurity creates many opportunities and uncertainties. A focus group with advanced graduate students in cybersecurity revealed the potential depth and breadth of the challenges and opportunities. The salient issues are access to open source or free tools, documentation, curricular diversity, and clear articulation of ethical principles for AI cybersecurity education. Confronting the "black box" mentality in AI cybersecurity work is also of the greatest importance, doubled by deeper and prior education in foundational AI work. Systems thinking and effective communication were considered relevant areas of educational improvement. Future AI educators and practitioners need to address these issues by implementing rigorous technical training curricula, clear documentation, and frameworks for ethically monitoring AI combined with critical and system's thinking and communication skills.