As artificial intelligence and machine learning systems rapidly move from experimental models to production-critical platforms, the role of the CISO in this sector has fundamentally changed. AI and ML organizations are now responsible not only for protecting traditional enterprise assets, but also for safeguarding massive training datasets, proprietary models, inference pipelines, and emerging AI-specific attack surfaces. From model theft and data poisoning to insider risk and nation-state interest, security leaders in this space operate at the intersection of research integrity, cloud-scale engineering, and global trust.
The following CISOs stand out for their leadership in securing some of the most influential AI and ML companies shaping the future of technology.
Vitaly Gudanets — Chief Information Security Officer, Anthropic
Vitaly Gudanets serves as Chief Information Security Officer at Anthropic, where security is deeply intertwined with the company’s mission to build safe and beneficial AI systems. His role places him at the center of protecting advanced AI research while ensuring trust across the broader AI ecosystem.
Before Anthropic, Gudanets was CISO at Netflix, leading security for one of the world’s largest and most complex global platforms. His experience also includes advisory and leadership roles with Amazon Web Services’ Global CISO Advisory Council, Lightspeed, and Flume Ventures. Gudanets brings a rare combination of operational security leadership, board-level perspective, and ecosystem-wide influence, an essential mix for AI companies operating under intense regulatory, ethical, and security scrutiny.
Naor Penso — Chief Information Security Officer, Cerebras Systems
Naor Penso is a seasoned cybersecurity executive with more than two decades of experience building and leading large-scale security organizations across both public and private sectors. As CISO at Cerebras Systems, he plays a critical role in protecting advanced AI hardware and systems that power large-scale machine learning workloads.
Previously, Penso served as Vice President and Head of Product Security at FICO, where he led global teams responsible for enterprise-scale security strategy and execution. His background spans all major cybersecurity domains, from governance and risk to deeply technical execution. Beyond corporate leadership, Penso is an active contributor to the open-source community and a mentor to cybersecurity startups, reflecting a commitment to innovation and collaboration that aligns closely with the AI and ML ecosystem.
Alex Levinson — Head of Security, Scale AI
Alex Levinson leads security at Scale AI with an unusually broad and deep technical foundation. His background spans security engineering, software development, infrastructure, and offensive security, enabling him to operate seamlessly across disciplines in highly complex AI-driven environments.
Levinson is known for his attacker’s mindset and his ability to design and implement large-scale, high-performance security solutions. He has built and led multiple security teams, released open-source security tools, and regularly speaks at major industry conferences such as DEF CON, BSides, and RSA. At Scale AI, his combination of hands-on engineering expertise, incident response experience, and executive-level communication is particularly valuable in securing data pipelines and AI systems that underpin mission-critical ML applications.
FermÃn Serna — Chief Information Security Officer, Databricks
FermÃn Serna brings more than 25 years of security experience to Databricks, a company at the heart of large-scale data analytics and machine learning platforms. A deeply technical leader, Serna has extensive expertise in vulnerability research, exploit development, and security architecture for complex systems.
Known for his ability to abstract problems, identify systemic gaps, and deliver results, Serna has built a reputation as a natural leader of large technical organizations. His collaborative approach and emphasis on mentoring strengthen security teams operating in fast-moving AI and ML environments where data protection and platform integrity are paramount.
Michael Losapio — Chief Information Security Officer, Palantir Technologies
Michael Losapio serves as Chief Information Security Officer at Palantir Technologies, where he oversees the protection of sensitive data platforms used by governments and enterprises worldwide, many of which increasingly rely on AI-driven analytics.
With a strong background in infrastructure, network security, and site reliability engineering, Losapio has built and led world-class security engineering teams. His career includes deep hands-on experience in cloud security, distributed systems, and automation, as well as contributions to open-source projects. This blend of leadership and technical depth is critical in securing AI-enabled platforms operating at global scale.
Scott Roberts — Chief Information Security Officer and Senior Vice President, UiPath
Scott Roberts brings decades of experience shaping security programs that have influenced the broader technology industry. As CISO and Senior Vice President at UiPath, he oversees security for automation and AI-driven platforms used across global enterprises.
Roberts has held senior security leadership roles at Microsoft, AWS, Google, and Coinbase, and has been instrumental in foundational initiatives such as the Security Development Lifecycle, Patch Tuesday, and industry-standard threat modeling practices. His experience aligning security with product development and business outcomes is particularly relevant as AI and ML capabilities become deeply embedded in enterprise workflows.
The Security Frontier of AI and Machine Learning
The AI and machine learning sector represents one of the most complex and high-stakes security frontiers today. CISOs in this space must balance rapid innovation with rigorous protection of data, models, infrastructure, and public trust. The leaders highlighted here are shaping how security is defined for AI-first organizations, combining deep technical expertise, strategic vision, and an understanding that the future of AI depends as much on security and trust as it does on capability.