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CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz has challenged the emerging narrative that artificial intelligence will render cloud-based software obsolete. Speaking on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” Thursday, Kurtz asserted, “I don’t really buy that. I think you need software in order to be able to protect AI. They’re interrelated. It’s not like you just have one without the other.”
The crux of the argument that AI could supplant software stems from two primary concerns. The first is the rise of agentic AI – autonomous agents capable of operating with minimal human intervention. The concern is that as businesses integrate these AI-powered tools, their reliance on traditional Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) subscriptions, often priced per user, will diminish. The second concern revolves around the potential for AI to become so adept at coding that organizations will require less outsourced software development from SaaS providers, as AI could potentially handle many coding tasks in-house.
However, Kurtz contends that agentic AI will, in fact, “only accelerate SaaS.” His rationale is that SaaS providers are actively leveraging AI to build more robust and sophisticated applications and software solutions for their customer base. This integration of AI within SaaS platforms is not a replacement, but rather an enhancement. This perspective aligns with observations that AI is proving more effective as an augmentation tool, enhancing the capabilities of existing software, rather than a displacement technology on a broad scale.
Kurtz highlighted that this dynamic is particularly beneficial for CrowdStrike. The company’s cloud-native Falcon platform, which utilizes AI to proactively defend against cyber breaches and negate the need for on-premise servers, directly benefits from the increased reliance on sophisticated AI-driven software. Furthermore, CrowdStrike’s services extend to protecting other significant SaaS players within the digital ecosystem, including Salesforce. This highlights the growing need for robust cybersecurity solutions that are specifically designed to protect AI-driven SaaS environments.
The market appears to be responding favorably to CrowdStrike’s strategic positioning. Shares of CrowdStrike jumped over 3% during Thursday’s trading, marking another intraday all-time high. The stock is currently outperforming many in the cybersecurity sector for 2025, boasting a year-to-date gain exceeding 50%. This surge suggests strong investor confidence in CrowdStrike’s ability to capitalize on the evolving interplay between AI and cloud security.
This performance mirrors a broader trend within the cybersecurity sector. Other prominent cybersecurity firms are witnessing positive growth trajectory, reinforced investor confidence in the fundamental importance of protecting increasingly complex digital assets.
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