“AI is Making Our Systems Safer, by Uncovering All of These Security Issues, we...

Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao has highlighted the growing role of artificial intelligence in strengthening cybersecurity, arguing that the technology is helping organisations identify vulnerabilities in their systems before they can be exploited by malicious actors.

He noted that uncovering security weaknesses through AI gives companies an opportunity to address potential threats, reinforce their defences and build safer digital infrastructure.

CZ made this disclosure during an interview and Q&A at the Oxford Union on November 3, 2026, his first major public appearance after a significant security incident at the exchange.

In his words,

"In the short term, it's going to hurt. There will be more of these instances. But the truth is that AI will actually make our systems safer. Like it or not, by uncovering all of the security issues we can now fix them. Short term it's a double-edged sword, but long term I actually believe it's going to make our systems safer."

The remarks comes days after a major breach on Binance estimated at around $6.3 billion in impact. The exchange pledged to cover user losses, worked with partners to freeze substantial amounts of assets on-chain, and said its initial investigation pointed to a compromised DevOps engineer's laptop that allowed unauthorized access.

CZ described the incident as preventable, noting that some internal staff had failed to follow basic operational security procedures. Attackers spent five to six months building the chain, combining social engineering, interview-style phishing, and AI tools to identify weaknesses.

The Binance CEO placed the episode in a broader pattern of escalating threats across crypto. He said the industry once saw one or two hacks a year, then one or two a week, and more recently three or four attacks on platforms every day.

Notably, CZ advocated for industry collaboration with AI labs, law enforcement, and experts to build stronger defenses, noting no system can guarantee 100% security.

Artificial intelligence is increasingly becoming a critical line of defence in cybersecurity, helping organisations identify vulnerabilities, detect suspicious activities and prevent cyberattacks before they escalate. By analysing massive volumes of data in real time, AI-powered security systems can recognise unusual patterns, identify potential threats and flag weaknesses that traditional security tools might overlook.

As cybercriminals adopt increasingly sophisticated techniques, including AI-assisted attacks, organisations are turning to machine learning and automated threat detection to strengthen their security infrastructure. These technologies allow security teams to monitor networks continuously, investigate suspicious behaviour faster and respond to emerging threats with greater precision.

Beyond detecting active attacks, AI is also helping organisations uncover hidden vulnerabilities in their systems, applications and security protocols. By identifying weaknesses before malicious actors can exploit them, companies can address potential entry points, strengthen their defences and reduce the risk of costly breaches.

However, AI is not a complete replacement for human cybersecurity professionals. Rather, it provides security teams with greater visibility, faster analysis and additional tools to anticipate and counter evolving threats.

CZ stressed that perfect security is impossible. Instead, the industry needs multi-layered defenses and closer collaboration among crypto platforms, AI labs, law enforcement agencies, and security experts.

Outlook

Looking ahead, artificial intelligence is expected to play an increasingly important role in shaping the future of cybersecurity, particularly as cryptocurrency platforms face more sophisticated and frequent attacks.

While AI could give hackers new ways to exploit vulnerabilities, it also offers exchanges and security teams more advanced tools to identify weaknesses, monitor suspicious activities and respond to threats before they result in significant financial losses.

For the cryptocurrency industry, the challenge will be ensuring that security infrastructure evolves as quickly as the technologies attackers use.

Exchanges will need to invest in AI-powered threat detection, strengthen internal access controls, improve employee security awareness and conduct regular vulnerability assessments.