The cybersecurity industry is no stranger to disruption. Over the years, we’ve seen automation reshape everything from vulnerability scanning to incident response. Now, AI-driven security testing tools are emerging, promising to impact human-led testing with automated adversarial simulations. But will AI truly make human testers obsolete, or is the future one where humans and AI work in tandem?

The rise of AI-driven security testing

AI-based penetration testing and offensive security solutions are evolving rapidly. Tools like Horizon3 and Xbow are pushing beyond simple vulnerability scanning and applying machine learning models to identify novel attack paths and even chain exploits dynamically. The ability of AI to simulate adversarial behaviors at scale has led some to question whether human-led penetration testing and red teaming will soon be outdated.

However, while AI shows impressive potential, it also comes with significant limitations and risks especially when compared to the ingenuity, adaptability, and strategic thinking of human security professionals.

The role of AI in penetration testing: Insights from experts

A recent discussion between cybersecurity experts Shubham Kichi and Nathaniel Sheer explored the evolving role of AI in penetration testing. Their insights reinforce the idea that AI is a powerful tool for automation, but not a replacement for human expertise.

AI as an automation tool

AI can streamline penetration testing by automating repetitive tasks like vulnerability scanning, exploit code generation, and reconnaissance. This reduces manual labor and allows testers to focus on complex analytical challenges.

Democratization of AI

Advanced AI-driven security tools are now more accessible than ever, enabling a broader range of security professionals to leverage them in their workflows.

Challenges and risks of AI in testing

• AI struggles with understanding context and nuance, particularly in complex web applications where human intuition is required.
• In particular, as Public LLMs are trained on Internet data, even with RAG, the models are exposed to only a small fraction of tradecraft compared to expert humans.
• Over-reliance on AI can lead to false positives and false negatives, potentially undermining security assessments.
• Ethical concerns arise regarding the boundaries of automation in cybersecurity, as AI lacks moral reasoning and the ability to make ethical judgments.
• AI Hallucinations can result in extremely risky behavior.

The future of AI in security testing

While AI is set to play a significant role in offensive security, experts emphasize that penetration testing will remain a collaborative effort between AI and human testers. AI tools will enhance efficiency, but human oversight will be crucial in strategic decision-making, ethical considerations, and real-world attack simulations.

What hackers say: AI as a tool, not a replacement

According to Bugcrowd’s Inside the Mind of a Hacker 2024 report:

• 77% of hackers already use AI technologies to assist in hacking.
• 86% believe AI has fundamentally changed their approach to hacking.
• 71% believe AI increases the value of hacking, but only 22% think AI outperforms human hackers.
• Only 30% think AI will eventually replicate human creativity.

These insights reinforce the idea that AI is enhancing hacker capabilities, not replacing them. AI helps with automation, reconnaissance, and data analysis but human intuition, creativity, and adaptability remain irreplaceable.

Why human ingenuity still wins in security testing

AI lacks contextual awareness

AI can find technical vulnerabilities, but it struggles with business logic flaws, application abuse scenarios, and complex multistep attacks that require an understanding of a target organization’s unique environment. A human attacker can identify and exploit gaps that AI can’t even recognize.

Attacks are already using AI so humans need to stay in the loop

Just as security professionals use AI to enhance testing, adversaries are also leveraging AI to improve their attacks. AI-powered threats require AI-assisted defenses, but humans must remain in control to anticipate novel attack techniques and counteract them before they cause harm.

The future is AI-augmented human testing, not AI-only security

The most effective security approach isn’t choosing between AI or humans—it is using AI to enhance human testing. “Human-in-the-loop” AI security testing ensures that ethical hackers remain in control, using AI-driven automation to increase efficiency while applying creativity and judgment to interpret results, escalate findings, and adjust strategies in real time.

Bugcrowd’s approach: Human-driven, AI-augmented security testing

At Bugcrowd, we believe the future of security testing lies in the synergy between human expertise and AI-driven efficiency. Our approach focuses on:

• AI-powered signal processing—Automating noise reduction so human testers can focus on the most impactful findings.
• Human-guided AI testing—Exploring AI-assisted reconnaissance and attack path discovery while ensuring human oversight for risk management.
• Crowdsourced adaptability—Leveraging the creativity and ingenuity of real security researchers to go beyond what AI alone can achieve.

AI is transforming security testing, but it isn’t replacing the human element—it is enhancing it. Ethical hackers bring context, creativity, and adaptability that AI alone cannot replicate. The future belongs to security strategies that integrate AI-driven automation with human intelligence, ensuring both speed and precision in identifying and mitigating threats.

At Bugcrowd, we embrace AI as a tool to empower researchers, improve testing efficiency, and drive better security outcomes while ensuring that humans remain in control to manage risk and adapt to evolving threats. The reality is that attackers are constantly innovating. Our best defense is not AI alone, but AI-assisted humans who can think like attackers and stay ahead of the curve.