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AI in short: The essentials

Contributors:
Liz Blythe, Louise Taylor , Jessie Williams
Published on:
27 August 2026

"Months, not years." That's the warning recently issued by the Five Eyes intelligence alliance when discussing the impact of advanced AI on today's threat landscape. AI is already changing how organisations manage cyber risk, protect privileged information, assess accuracy and make decisions, and the pace of change is only accelerating.

AI in short: The essentials cuts through the hype to focus on the issues that matter most. In each episode, Russell McVeagh Technology & Digital Partner Liz Blythe shares practical insights on the opportunities, risks and governance challenges emerging as AI becomes embedded in everyday business activities.

Watch each episode below for a deeper look at the issues behind the headlines.

 

AI in short: The essentials

Episode One: Months, Not Years: AI and Security

Contributors: Liz Blythe, Louise Taylor and Jessie Williams

In June, the Five Eyes intelligence alliance issued a rare public warning. In short: "the cyber threat from frontier AI is coming in months, not years. Act now". Just weeks later, an Open AI model broke out of its sandbox, accessed the open internet and hacked a real company, just to cheat on the test it was taking. Five Eyes said "months, not years". But the reality arrived in weeks.

So, what should businesses do? Well, the answer isn't futuristic. It's basic security hygiene, done faster. Three things matter most:

  • First, know where your sensitive data goes. Every path it takes in, through, and out of your business, and which of those paths you're actually monitoring. The answer may be less coverage than you think.
  • Second, fix your access controls. Who can reach what, and how are you verifying they are who they claim to be? Most of these AI-related incidents aren't evil robots. They're ordinary systems accessing data they simply shouldn't have access to.
  • Third, test your response for real. Not a document. A live drill.

Five Eyes was blunt: breaches will happen. The only question is how fast you catch them and respond.

And don't forget your supply chain – are your suppliers engaging in the same security hygiene as well? It's time to check. The threat may sound like science fiction. But the defence is surprisingly ordinary.

Cyber governance: A practical framework

We provide guidance on the legal, regulatory and governance issues organisations should consider before, during and after a cyber incident.

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This content is intended only to provide a summary of the subject covered. It does not purport to be comprehensive or to provide legal advice. No person should act in reliance on any statement contained in this publication without first obtaining specific professional advice. If you require any advice or further information on the subject matter, please contact a Russell McVeagh partner/solicitor.