Topic: Protecting research data in the age of AI
Presenter: Andriana Vanezi, Information Security Services (ISS-IST)
Location: Grad Lounge, SLC 3216
Summary: Artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly common part of the research environment, helping researchers write code, analyze information, automate tasks, and build AI-powered workflows. At the same time, AI systems introduce new cybersecurity considerations that researchers must understand before incorporating them into their work. Questions about system access, connected services, permissions, third-party platforms, AI agents, open models, and self-hosted deployments are becoming an important part of protecting research information and research environments.
This session examines AI from an information security perspective. Starting with a clear understanding of the research task at hand, participants will explore the security implications of different AI technologies, including public AI services, enterprise platforms, open models, self-hosted systems, and agentic AI. The session will focus on identifying security risks, understanding how AI systems interact with research environments, and applying practical safeguards to reduce risk while using AI in research.