Avela Gronemeyer
Profile Summary
Avela has 20 years of professional experience and worked for Accenture, one of the world’s leading management and technology consulting companies for many years – most recently as Managing Director. In this role, she led a consulting and technology innovation practice with a focus on leveraging new technologies, including artificial intelligence. Her interests and research focus on digital transformation as a key driver of corporate a business success, the enthusiastic and responsible use of artificial intelligence, as well as the socially acceptable implementation of new technologies. In this context, she has worked with business leaders, data & AI practitioners and experts as well as partners such as the Digital Council Africa to create a much needed platform to drive the conversation and enable up-skilling in responsible AI.
Session Description
Panel Discussion: Cybersecurity in the Age of Data & AI - Challenges and Opportunities
As AI and data become central to modern business operations, they introduce new cybersecurity risks and challenges. The integration of AI technologies creates vulnerabilities, such as AI-driven cyberattacks, deepfakes, and automated exploits that - left alone - can outpace traditional security measures. Additionally, the vast amounts of sensitive data being collected and processed heighten concerns about privacy, potential data breaches, and compliance with global regulations. A growing issue is data sovereignty, as the development of widely available AI models is often geographically concentrated, with the applications and systems into which said AI models are integrated typically hosted in geographically dispersed data centers (often in a different country from the deploying company and users). This raises questions around jurisdiction, ownership, and the security of cross-border data flows.
At the same time, AI presents significant opportunities to strengthen cybersecurity. AI-powered systems can enhance threat detection, automate incident response, and predict potential vulnerabilities before they are exploited. These innovations allow businesses to proactively safeguard their systems while improving efficiency and minimising risk. This panel will explore the balance between addressing the evolving challenges and harnessing AI's potential to build stronger, more resilient security frameworks. Experts will share insights on practical solutions, new technologies, and the regulatory landscape, providing valuable perspectives on how organizations can navigate the complex cybersecurity terrain in an age dominated by data and AI.
