AI is everywhere these days, and if you’re someone with a recent Windows computer, the built-in AI means a key on your keyboard can automatically load up an AI chatbot to do things. Spin out some text, improve some, or even make an image or two. These are the things most of us know AI can be used for as a tool.
But what about security — can AI be used as an assistant in that realm?
It’s long been talked about, especially with all that AI hardware coming to phones and laptops, but Trend Micro seems game to add it finally, though it’s not quite what you might think it is.
Trend Micro’s latest addition is something the company calls “Kaleida”, providing an AI companion of sorts for its TrendLife solution, something focused on families rather than individual users.
While the company hasn’t quite detailed what its Kaleida AI companion will do, calling it a companion makes us think of the chatbots we have today, but focused instead on security, which in this case appears to be about family.
Diving in a little further, Trend Micro told Pickr that its AI will safeguard the data people send to other AI systems, essentially masking any personally identifiable information before chatbots receive it, and using the service to detect any potential scam signals early, warning people ahead of time.
Interestingly, Kaleida won’t require an AI PC, meaning it’s unlikely any part of the AI systems are processing data on the device. That’s a curious omission, largely because Trend Micro had previously noted that AI hardware could be used in its solution, at the time noting on-device AI could essentially be used to improve security. This clearly isn’t that product.
However, the company did say that some features may eventually need neural processors, with a representative noting that “certain advanced capabilities may, over time, be optimised for or only available on AI PCs with NPUs”. That’s a sign that while Trend Micro’s AI counterpart is largely online now, it may not stay that way forever, as the company looks to push AI for security in different ways.
Right now, it seems fairly generic in what Trend Micro’s AI component will do, but it’s just one of the many ways we’re seeing security makers embrace AI to try and make its tech stand out. It also still has some time to improve the concept, with Kaleida in early access, but not expected to be public until later this year.
