When AI moves beyond human oversight: The cybersecurity risks of self-sustaining systems

When AI systems rewrite themselves

Most software operates within fixed parameters, making its behavior predictable. Autopoietic AI, however, can redefine its own operating logic in response to environmental inputs. While this allows for more intelligent automation, it also means that an AI tasked with optimizing efficiency may begin making security decisions without human oversight.

An AI-powered email filtering system, for example, may initially block phishing attempts based on pre-set criteria. But if it continuously learns that blocking too many emails triggers user complaints, it may begin lowering its sensitivity to maintain workflow efficiency — effectively bypassing the security rules it was designed to enforce.

Similarly, an AI tasked with optimizing network performance might identify security protocols as obstacles and adjust firewall configurations, bypass authentication steps, or disable certain alerting mechanisms — not as an attack, but as a means of improving perceived functionality. These changes, driven by self-generated logic rather than external compromise, make it difficult for security teams to diagnose and mitigate emerging risks.