Big thanks to ThreatLocker for sponsoring my trip to Black Hat USA 2026 and also for sponsoring this video. To start your free trial with ThreatLocker, please use the following link: https://www.threatlocker.com/davidbombal
Is cybersecurity still worth learning in 2026? AI agents are changing vulnerability research, but where does that leave you?
At Black Hat, I’m joined by Arizona State University professor Yan Shoshitaishvili to discuss what AI can actually do, where it falls short, and why he would still choose a career in cybersecurity today.
Yan shares how his lab used AI agents and human-designed workflows to find what he describes as over 1,000 Linux kernel vulnerabilities triggerable by an unprivileged local user. Running 128 agents was only part of the story. Understanding which vulnerabilities to look for and improving the research process proved critical.
We discuss:
• How AI agents test potential vulnerabilities instead of simply reporting suspected bugs
• How agentic AI compares with fuzzing and static analysis
• Why finding new bugs does not automatically prove one tool is better
• Why human expertise still matters in security research
• How to use AI as a learning assistant without skipping the learning
• Free, hands-on cybersecurity training through pwn.college
• Yan’s advice for anyone considering cybersecurity in 2026
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// MENU //
0:00 – Coming up
0:34 – Intro
02:10 – Rethinking How Cybersecurity Is Taught
04:35 – AI Agents Are Changing Vulnerability Research
10:11 – Sponsored Section
11:18 – Are AI Agents Really Better at Finding Bugs?
16:00 – AI Agents vs the Linux Kernel
19:30 – Where Human Expertise Still Matters
23:09 – Learning Cybersecurity With AI
25:17 – Will AI Eventually Replace Everyone?
30:26 – Would You Still Choose Cybersecurity?
30:50 – Conclusion & Outro
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Disclaimer: This video is for educational purposes only.
#aiagents #vulnerabilityresearch #bhusa2026
