Securing What Comes Next: Cybersecurity Leadership in the Age of AI
Open to the U-M Community.
The University of Michigan’s Leadership in Technology: Distinguished Lecture Series welcomes Nikesh Arora, chairman and CEO of Palo Alto Networks, a Fortune 500 company and global leader in AI and cybersecurity serving enterprises and governments worldwide. Arora will join Ravi Pendse, vice president for information technology and chief information officer at U-M, for a candid, forward-looking conversation about cybersecurity leadership in the age of AI.
AI is reshaping both sides of cybersecurity. It is giving adversaries powerful new ways to move faster, operate at scale, and target increasingly complex systems. At the same time, AI is becoming essential to identifying threats, strengthening defenses, and helping security teams respond with greater speed and precision. As cyber conflict begins to move at machine speed, how can organizations keep pace?
Drawing on his leadership at Palo Alto Networks and previous senior roles at Google and SoftBank, Arora will share his perspective on the evolving threat landscape, emerging trends, and AI’s rapidly expanding role in cybersecurity. The conversation will explore where cyber risks are headed, how defenders can prepare, and why technology alone is never the complete answer.
Attend in person at Rackham Auditorium for this timely conversation about how innovation, strategy, and human judgment must work together to secure what comes next.
The program will be followed by a brief audience question-and-answer period. The event is open to U-M students, faculty, staff, alumni, and retirees. RSVP is required to attend.
Thursday, October 22, 2026 • 2–3 p.m. (Check-in: 1 p.m.)
Sponsored by Information and Technology Services and the Office of the Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer.
More information about the event here!