OpenAI and Andreessen Horowitz’s $43 million investment in Adaptive Security represents a significant pivot in cybersecurity strategy, focusing on human-centered security testing rather than just technical defenses. This first-time cybersecurity investment from OpenAI’s Startup Fund signals growing concern about AI-powered social engineering attacks, as Adaptive Security uses artificial intelligence to test employees’ ability to recognize scams through simulated phishing attempts across multiple communication channels. The approach acknowledges that most security breaches result from human error rather than technical vulnerabilities.
The big picture: OpenAI and Andreessen Horowitz are leading a $43 million Series A funding round for Adaptive Security, an AI cybersecurity startup that tests and trains employees to identify suspicious behavior.
- This marks the first investment in a cybersecurity company by OpenAI’s Startup Fund, highlighting the critical intersection of AI and security.
- Adaptive Security launched publicly in January 2024 and has already secured over 100 customers, including First State Bank, Podium, the Dallas Mavericks, and BMC.
How it works: Unlike traditional cybersecurity solutions, Adaptive Security actively attempts to trick employees with AI-generated scams across multiple channels to identify human vulnerabilities.
- The company uses artificial intelligence to create convincing phishing attempts via emails, texts, and voice calls, then provides personalized training to employees who fall for these simulated attacks.
- Beyond testing employees, the platform also analyzes flagged suspicious messages, assigns risk levels, and sends reports to security teams.
Why this matters: The investment acknowledges that human error represents the primary vulnerability in most enterprise security systems, especially as generative AI enables more sophisticated and frequent scam attempts.
- Criminals increasingly leverage AI to scale up both the volume and believability of phishing attempts, creating messages that appear to come from managers or colleagues.
- Traditional security systems that focus solely on technological defenses fail to address this human element of cybersecurity.
What’s next: According to CEO Brian Long, the company will use the new funding to expand its engineering team to stay ahead of emerging threats and scamming techniques.
- Positive customer feedback reportedly caught OpenAI’s attention, suggesting the approach is showing promising results in real-world applications.
- The significant investment indicates the cybersecurity industry’s shift toward more proactive, AI-powered training solutions rather than reactive defense mechanisms.
Recent Stories
DOE fusion roadmap targets 2030s commercial deployment as AI drives $9B investment
The Department of Energy has released a new roadmap targeting commercial-scale fusion power deployment by the mid-2030s, though the plan lacks specific funding commitments and relies on scientific breakthroughs that have eluded researchers for decades. The strategy emphasizes public-private partnerships and positions AI as both a research tool and motivation for developing fusion energy to meet data centers' growing electricity demands. The big picture: The DOE's roadmap aims to "deliver the public infrastructure that supports the fusion private sector scale up in the 2030s," but acknowledges it cannot commit to specific funding levels and remains subject to Congressional appropriations. Why...
Oct 17, 2025Tying it all together: Credo’s purple cables power the $4B AI data center boom
Credo, a Silicon Valley semiconductor company specializing in data center cables and chips, has seen its stock price more than double this year to $143.61, following a 245% surge in 2024. The company's signature purple cables, which cost between $300-$500 each, have become essential infrastructure for AI data centers, positioning Credo to capitalize on the trillion-dollar AI infrastructure expansion as hyperscalers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Elon Musk's xAI rapidly build out massive computing facilities. What you should know: Credo's active electrical cables (AECs) are becoming indispensable for connecting the massive GPU clusters required for AI training and inference. The company...
Oct 17, 2025Vatican launches Latin American AI network for human development
The Vatican hosted a two-day conference bringing together 50 global experts to explore how artificial intelligence can advance peace, social justice, and human development. The event launched the Latin American AI Network for Integral Human Development and established principles for ethical AI governance that prioritize human dignity over technological advancement. What you should know: The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, the Vatican's research body for social issues, organized the "Digital Rerum Novarum" conference on October 16-17, combining academic research with practical AI applications. Participants included leading experts from MIT, Microsoft, Columbia University, the UN, and major European institutions. The conference...