“Imagine what a human population of 8 billion people can accomplish if we collectively have the capacity of 80 billion.” This vision, shared by Jeetu Patel, Executive Vice President and Chief Product Officer, Cisco, in his January 2025 article, “Protecting AI so AI Can Improve the World, Safely,” highlights AI’s profound potential to transform businesses and society. But with such power, comes responsibility. As Patel pointed out, “The question, though, is how can we make this transition safely and securely?” For distribution partners, this is a critical question. AI-driven solutions must not only enhance productivity but also remain secure and trustworthy.
AI’s Growing Influence and the Risks That Follow
AI is already reshaping industries, enabling businesses to scale operations, automate workflows, and drive efficiency at unprecedented rates. Patel noted that tomorrow’s workforce will include not just humans, but will expand to include AI agents, applications, and even robots, working in tandem.
Alongside these advancements, we must be aware of and prepare for significant security challenges. Unlike traditional software, AI models evolve dynamically, sometimes unpredictably, and Patel recognized, “the reality is that most organizations will be using multiple models across public and private clouds.” This opens the door to such risks as data leaks, bias, toxicity, and adversarial threats that can compromise business integrity and customer trust.
To truly harness AI’s power, organizations need a security approach that accounts for AI’s complexity, unpredictability, and multi-cloud deployment. The demand for AI solutions that balance innovation and security has never been greater.
The Role of Cisco AI Defense
As Patel emphasized, “You need to move fast with AI, but you absolutely cannot afford to sacrifice safety and security for speed.” Announced at the AI Summit in January, Cisco AI Defense is designed to secure AI applications by providing visibility and control over how AI models behave across public and private clouds. Patel said that “AI Defense provides robust protection in two critical areas: accessing AI applications and building and running AI applications.”
This is especially important for TD SYNNEX partners, as they play a key role in deploying and managing AI solutions for their clients. Embracing AI Defense not only enhances the security posture of organizations but also unlocks the full potential of AI without compromising on safety.
By leveraging Cisco’s platform approach, which integrates traditional security directly into the network, partners can offer clients protection at scale. Whether AI models are hosted in public clouds or private infrastructures, AI Defense ensures that vulnerabilities are continuously validated, and necessary guardrails are enforced—automatically and in real time.
Empowering Innovation Without Compromise
The beauty of AI Defense lies in its frictionless security. Patel explained how AI Defense is “invisible. There are no agents, it requires no libraries, nothing to slow down development.” For TD SYNNEX partners, this means delivering AI-driven solutions that push the boundaries of innovation while ensuring seamless, built-in security. By offering Cisco AI Defense, partners aren’t just providing protection, they’re enabling businesses to scale AI adoption without fear of unintended consequences.
Whether working with large enterprises or emerging startups, distributors can equip clients with the tools they need to navigate the AI era safely and successfully.
What’s Next?
As AI continues to transform industries, TD SYNNEX Cisco distribution partners have a critical role to play in securing this transformation. By integrating solutions like Cisco AI Defense into their offerings, they help clients safeguard their AI investments while simultaneously empowering them to innovate without limitations. The future of AI is bright, but its safe and secure adoption requires a proactive, well-supported security approach. For more insight from Jeetu Patel, read the full story here.
