Challenges and Defense Technologies in Cybersecurity Based on Artificial Intelligence

With the rapid advancement of network technologies, emerging tools of the new era have increasingly drawn attention to issues of cybersecurity. This evolving landscape presents both unprecedented challenges and significant opportunities for cyber defense. Among the most transformative forces is artificial intelligence (AI), which, while driving remarkable progress across various sectors, has also profoundly impacted the cybersecurity domain. Notably, AI-enabled cyberattacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, dynamic, and difficult to detect, outpacing the capabilities of traditional security defense mechanisms. These legacy systems often lack the intelligent responsiveness required to counteract the rapidly evolving threat landscape, making them inadequate in the face of complex, large-scale attacks originating globally. In response to these developments, this paper provides a comprehensive overview of the interplay between AI and cybersecurity. It outlines the defining characteristics and developmental trends of AI technologies in the context of cybersecurity and conducts a dual-perspective literature reviewexploring both the ways in which AI enhances cyberattacks and how it can be harnessed to strengthen cyber defense. The paper examines state-of-the-art AI-driven attack techniques as well as contemporary AI-based defensive solutions, offering a comparative analysis of their strengths and limitations. Finally, it addresses current developmental constraints and proposes directions for future research. The study underscores the growing importance of AI in cybersecurity and offers strategic insights into mitigating AI-enabled cyber threats.