AI coding is putting software risk on steroids | Tech Radar

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AI coding accelerates software risk, demanding machine-speed governance

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Artificial intelligence has transformed how software is built. Tasks that once took software developers days, if not weeks, to finalize can now be completed in hours with the assistance of generative AI tools.

The promise is compelling, offering faster innovation, increased productivity, and the ability to bring new applications to life at an unprecedented speed. But what is the impact on security?

AI coding has simultaneously put software risk on steroids. This is not because AI-generated code is uniquely flawed; it’s because it enables organizations to build and deploy software faster than any existing security, governance, or risk management process.

Development velocity has accelerated toward machine speed, while governance remains largely human-driven. That gap is now one of the defining software security challenges of the AI era.

Software is moving at machine speed. Security isn't.

AI is not only changing how code is written; it is changing how software is assembled. Developers can now assemble applications using open-source components, APIs, and third-party services faster than ever before. Every new application, integration, and dependency expands the attack surface that organizations must inventory, monitor, and secure.

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The result is now a growing imbalance between software creation and software remediation. As the pace of software creation increases, remediation must keep up.

Veracode's 2026 State of Software Security report found 82% of organizations now carry security debt—vulnerabilities that remain unresolved over time — and 60% carry critical security debt, meaning flaws that are severe enough to cause significant damage if exploited.

Third-party code continues to be an especially stubborn source of risk, representing 66% of the most dangerous, long-lived vulnerabilities. The data reveals a simple reality: AI doesn't just generate more first-party code—it is increasing software complexity.

Organizations have always dealt with flawed code. The difference now is the speed and scale at which that code can be created, accepted, and deployed. AI doesn't just introduce risk, it amplifies the challenge of managing risk by enabling teams to generate exponentially more software than traditional security processes were designed to govern.

Traditional security governance assumes humans remain the bottleneck in software creation. Reviews, approvals, audits, and remediation workflows were designed for development cycles measured in weeks or months. AI-assisted development compresses those timelines dramatically.

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When software can be generated, modified, and deployed at machine speed, governance models that depend on human intervention alone are no longer sustainable.

AI can help plant a seed, but that does not mean the garden will thrive. A seed needs the right soil, climate, and care. Software is no different. Organizations can generate applications overnight, but without the right security frameworks, operational support, and governance structures, those applications can quickly become liabilities rather than assets.

This is why security leaders must rethink governance for the AI era. The goal can’t be to inspect every line of code or eliminate every vulnerability before deployment; that approach was already becoming unsustainable before generative AI entered the picture. Instead, organizations need governance systems capable of operating at the same pace as software creation.

That means automating risk analysis, continuously evaluating dependencies, enforcing policies through pipelines, and prioritizing remediation based on business risk rather than relying on manual review alone.

The need for machine-speed governance extends beyond operational efficiency. As AI accelerates software creation, governance becomes the mechanism through which organizations maintain visibility, demonstrate control, and establish trust across an increasingly complex software ecosystem.

Ultimately, this isn't just about scaling security. It's about ensuring software can be trusted and held accountable, regardless of how it's built.

AI can generate software, but it cannot assume responsibility for it. Boards will still hold executive leadership accountable for cyber risk. Regulators will still expect organizations to demonstrate that the software they deploy is secure and resilient. Customers will still expect software they can trust, regardless of how it was built.

AI may change how software is created, but it does not change who is accountable for its consequences.

That shift requires organizations to rethink governance as a strategic capability, not a compliance exercise. Success will depend less on preventing every vulnerability and more on demonstrating that software can be continuously evaluated, understood, and trusted as it evolves. In the AI era, the winners will not simply be those that build software fastest, but those that can govern it most effectively.

AI can help plant the seed, but it cannot tend to the garden. The organizations that lead today will not necessarily be those that generate the most software. They'll be the ones that can confidently answer the question every stakeholder will eventually ask: Can we trust what we've built?

AI has accelerated software creation beyond anything the industry has experienced before. If software risk is now on steroids, governance must be too. Otherwise, the gap between what organizations can build and what they can securely manage will continue to widen.

This article was produced as part of Tech Radar Pro Perspectives, our channel to feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today.

The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of Tech Radar Pro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/pro/perspectives-how-to-submit

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