A recent study by Gigamon shows that German companies are becoming increasingly skeptical of generative AI applications such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini. While 75% of the CIOs and CISOs surveyed in 2023 still saw no reason not to use these technologies, the tide has now turned. Only 31% of companies still use AI tools without hesitation, while 44% continue to evaluate the potential security risks and 25% have already made the decision to ban Generative AI.

This 180-degree turnaround in attitude can be attributed to various factors: Some companies report negative experiences, such as phishing attacks in which deceptively real-looking emails were generated by AI. In light of these developments, skepticism has grown and many companies are reviewing the security of these technologies more thoroughly, according to Gigamon.

Countertrend in instant messaging apps

In contrast to generative AI tools, trust in instant messaging apps such as WhatsApp has improved. Last year, 67% of companies prohibited the use of WhatsApp for security reasons, but this figure has now fallen to 22%. At the same time, 34% of companies now allow the app to be used without any concerns. A similar trend can be seen with TikTok: While 89% of respondents were still checking potential security risks in 2023, 47% now prohibit its use, but 23% more companies also allow the app compared to the previous year.

Deep observability is gaining in importance

© Gigamon

The study also highlights that companies are increasingly relying on "deep observability" to improve the transparency of their IT infrastructures and close security gaps. While only 28% of respondents reported visibility down to application level in the previous year, this figure has increased to 55% in 2024. Monitoring of encrypted data traffic has also increased, leading to a reduction in concerns about blind spots (31% compared to 52% in the previous year). This increased visibility enables companies to detect and combat vulnerabilities and attacks more quickly.

Ali Moniri, Technical Lead EMEA at Gigamon, emphasizes the importance of these developments: "German companies are slowly realizing that Generative AI is not as harmless as many of them initially thought. At the same time, the acceptance of other applications such as WhatsApp and TikTok is increasing. This makes it all the more important to increase the visibility of the IT environment in order to avoid potential blind spots."