Against the Tyranny of Optimization: On the Stability of Automated Republics

Against the Tyranny of Optimization: On the Stability of Automated Republics Katie Moussouris AI is transforming cybersecurity faster than institutions can adapt, which is saying something because cybersecurity already operates in permanent crisis mode. From automated vulnerability discovery to AI-assisted defense and analysis, machines are beginning to participate directly in workflows once defined by human expertise. Even bug bounty programs are starting to feel the strain as automation scales faster than the people responsible for interpreting and responding to the results. This talk examines cybersecurity as an early warning system for a new kind of pressure: the growing tyranny of optimization. As efficiency reshapes labor, risk, and power, we explore what happens when the systems we secure begin quietly rewriting the rules of work itself, and what security professionals may recognize first when defending systems expands into a shared responsibility to help guide technology toward a more stable and equitable society. https://bsidessf2026.sched.com/event/84e215d6b6871532041f7af79924dd90