If you’re managing an app, you might think of cybersecurity as something that happens “in the background”, a job for your development team to handle quietly. But here’s the thing: security is a product decision as much as it is a technical one.

Your app is more than code. It’s a relationship with your users, a representation of your brand, and often, a direct source of revenue. A breach doesn’t just mean downtime; it means damaged trust, lost customers, and potentially costly regulatory penalties.

AI matters here because it changes the pace and precision of protection. Where traditional security methods might flag a problem hours or days after it appears, AI-powered systems can spot anomalies and vulnerabilities in real time. That can be the difference between a minor fix and a headline-making breach.

In fact, research shows that companies are shifting significant parts of their cyber budget toward AI-enabled tools, recognising that manual methods alone can’t keep up with the scale and speed of modern threats.

AI in cybersecurity isn’t about replacing people with machines. It’s about giving your app developers (whether in-house or through a trusted app development agency) the tools to spot, understand, and fix risks faster.

Here’s how it plays out in practice:

• Proactive threat detection - Instead of waiting for an attack to happen, AI analyses behaviour patterns in your app to detect suspicious activity before it causes damage.
• Automated vulnerability scanning - AI tools continuously scan your app’s code and infrastructure, identifying weak points without interrupting user experience.
• Faster incident response - When something suspicious is found, AI can prioritise the most serious threats, so your team isn’t wasting time chasing false alarms.
• Adaptability - Cyber threats evolve quickly. AI learns from every scan and incident, adapting to new tactics faster than traditional rule-based systems.

For a product owner, the key takeaway is that AI makes your app’s security not only faster but also more adaptive, which is critical if you want your app to grow without exposing your business to unnecessary risk.

As with any technology, AI has its limits. While it’s excellent at spotting patterns, it still relies on the quality of the data and rules it’s trained on. And yes, just as developers use AI to strengthen apps, cybercriminals are also using it to create more sophisticated attacks.

For example, “package hallucination” is a growing issue, where AI mistakenly suggests importing a software component that doesn’t exist, leaving an opening for malicious actors to sneak in fake versions. And studies have shown that a significant percentage of AI-generated code still contains known security flaws.

The lesson here for product owners is that AI should be part of your strategy, not the whole strategy. You still need experienced app developers to review, validate, and reinforce what AI produces. It’s this human-AI collaboration that leads to the best outcomes.

If you’re in the process of building an app (or upgrading an existing one), here’s what to consider:

1. Ask about AI integration from the start - When you brief your app developers, ask how they’re using AI in their security processes. Experienced app developers will be able to explain clearly how AI fits into their workflow and how it benefits you.

2. Treat security as a product feature - Don’t tuck it away in the “technical” section of your requirements. Security impacts user trust, app ratings, and even marketing; it’s worth highlighting.

3. Budget for it - AI-enhanced security may cost more up front, but it’s far cheaper than recovering from a breach. According to a report, the average breach costs $4.45 million globally, and that’s before reputational damage.

4. Plan for compliance - With regulations like GDPR in the UK and EU, AI tools can help maintain compliance by automating data protection measures and audit trails.

One thing we’ve noticed working with product owners: those who treat cybersecurity as an asset, not an afterthought, tend to launch stronger, more resilient apps. And in competitive markets, that matters.

It’s not just trying to avoid disasters; it’s about positioning your app as trustworthy. In sectors like finance, health, or travel, where data is sensitive, a reputation for security can be a genuine selling point.

Choosing the right app developers means partnering with a team that understands this. They should be able to translate AI’s technical potential into business value for you.

AI is changing the way apps are protected, and for product owners, that’s good news. It means stronger defences, quicker responses, and the ability to keep up with a threat landscape that never stops shifting.

But the best results come when AI is combined with human expertise. That’s why your choice of app developers is so important. In the UK, leading teams are already embedding AI into their security processes; not as a gimmick, but as a core part of how they protect the apps they build.

So if you’re planning an app or improving one you already have, think of AI not as an optional extra, but as part of the foundation. It’s the difference between hoping your app is safe and knowing it is.