Manual SecOps work persists despite widespread AI adoption

AI in Cybersecurity: A Double-Edged Sword as Security Teams Grapple with Manual Work and AI Adoption Challenges

In a striking revelation from the frontlines of cybersecurity, a new report from workflow automation platform Tines, based on a global survey conducted by Sapio Research, paints a complex picture of AI’s role in modern security operations. While AI adoption is nearly universal—99 percent of security operations centers (SOCs) use it—security professionals are still drowning in manual, repetitive tasks, leading to widespread burnout and fatigue.

The study, which surveyed over 1,800 security leaders and practitioners worldwide, found that 77 percent of security teams regularly rely on AI, automation, or workflow tools. Yet, paradoxically, manual or repetitive work still consumes 44 percent of their time. This imbalance is taking a heavy toll: 76 percent of respondents reported experiencing emotional exhaustion and fatigue, highlighting a critical gap between AI’s promise and its practical impact on the ground.

The AI Adoption Paradox

Despite the near-universal adoption of AI in SOCs, the report reveals significant barriers to scaling AI and automation for meaningful returns. The top obstacles include security and compliance concerns (35 percent), limited resources (32 percent), and integration gaps between tools (31 percent). These challenges help explain why nearly all (92 percent) of security professionals believe that intelligent workflows—which unite automation, AI, and human expertise to move work seamlessly across systems and people—would add significant value to their organizations.

Thomas Kinsella, co-founder and chief customer officer at Tines, emphasizes the need for a holistic approach: “The signal is clear: AI alone won’t fix broken security operations. Teams see its enormous potential for time savings and morale gains, but without strong governance and well-designed workflows, that potential remains out of reach. Our research shows that real relief comes when organizations pair AI adoption with clear guardrails and intelligent workflows, redesigning how security work actually gets done.”

Gains and Gaps in AI Implementation

Security teams report notable gains from AI across several core functions. Threat detection (61 percent), identity and access monitoring (56 percent), and compliance and policy writing (55 percent) are the most frequently cited as highly effective use cases. However, these gains have largely been applied at the task level and have not yet translated into broad changes in overall workloads and processes.

Looking ahead, confidence in AI’s long-term impact remains high. A significant 86 percent of respondents are optimistic that AI will create new career opportunities, and 81 percent say their organizations are prepared to re-skill or hire for AI-related roles. This optimism suggests that while the current state of AI in cybersecurity is fraught with challenges, the future holds promise for transformative change.

AI as a Defining Factor in the Risk Landscape

Interestingly, AI has become a defining factor in the evolving risk landscape. The top five cybersecurity concerns cited by respondents heading into 2026 center on, or are being transformed by, AI. These include data leakage through copilots and agents (22 percent), third-party and supply chain risks (21 percent), evolving regulations (20 percent), shadow AI (18 percent), and prompt injection attacks (18 percent). This underscores the dual nature of AI as both a tool for defense and a potential vector for new threats.

The Road Ahead

The report from Tines serves as a wake-up call for organizations to rethink their approach to AI in cybersecurity. While the technology holds immense potential, its benefits can only be fully realized when paired with intelligent workflows, robust governance, and a commitment to redesigning how security work is done. As the cybersecurity landscape continues to evolve, the challenge will be to bridge the gap between AI’s promise and its practical impact, ensuring that security teams can leverage its power without succumbing to burnout and inefficiency.

For those interested in delving deeper into the findings, the full report is available on the Tines website.

Image credit: belchonock/depositphotos.com

Tags: AI in cybersecurity, security operations, automation, workflow tools, manual work, repetitive tasks, emotional exhaustion, burnout, intelligent workflows, threat detection, identity and access monitoring, compliance, policy writing, career opportunities, re-skilling, hiring, data leakage, copilots, agents, third-party risks, supply chain risks, evolving regulations, shadow AI, prompt injection attacks, Tines, Sapio Research, Thomas Kinsella, cybersecurity challenges, AI adoption barriers, integration gaps, security governance, future of cybersecurity.

Viral Sentences:

• “AI alone won’t fix broken security operations.”
• “Real relief comes when organizations pair AI adoption with clear guardrails and intelligent workflows.”
• “The signal is clear: AI alone won’t fix broken security operations.”
• “Security teams report gains from AI across several core functions.”
• “AI has become a defining factor in the risk landscape.”
• “The top five cybersecurity concerns cited by respondents heading into 2026 center on, or are being transformed by, AI.”
• “Confidence in AI’s long-term impact remains high.”
• “The challenge will be to bridge the gap between AI’s promise and its practical impact.”

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