Cairncross, the opening keynote speaker at the Black Hat USA 2026 cybersecurity conference, said the White House understands the growing safety concerns about AI, but recognizes the need to work collaboratively with the private sector. “What needs to be built is a flexible, adaptable structure that enables information sharing between industry and government,” Cairncross said. “So we can guarantee that this technology benefits everyone that it’s going to benefit but is used responsibly and securely.” The U.S. private sector has been working closely with the Trump administration to roll back what many perceive as an overly prescriptive regulatory environment developed under the Biden administration. Cairncross reminded Black Hat participants that the administration is working to impose greater costs on adversaries for malicious cyber activity.