Security and compliance professionals are no strangers to complexity. From staying ahead of ever-evolving threat landscapes to navigating an expanding web of regulatory requirements, the day-to-day demands often feel like a game of whack-a-mole. Enter AI copilots—powerful tools that, when used thoughtfully, can dramatically streamline operations and supercharge your security and compliance programs.
While much of the hype around AI focuses on futuristic capabilities, the real magic today lies in using these tools to augment existing workflows. Think of copilots not as replacements for security teams, but as force multipliers—always-on assistants that help reduce toil, improve consistency, and enable teams to focus on higher-value initiatives.
AI Copilots in Action: Security & Compliance Use Cases#
AI copilots are no longer just experimental toys. Here are a few ways forward-thinking security teams are using generative AI tools—like OpenAI’s custom GPTs and Google’s Gemini Gems—to automate core security and compliance tasks:
1. Automated Policy Assistance#
By feeding your organization’s security policies and compliance documentation into a custom GPT or Gem, you can build a knowledge assistant that answers internal questions in real-time. From "What’s our password policy?" to "Which controls support SOC 2 CC5.2?", the AI can parse and respond instantly—saving time for both security teams and business stakeholders.
2. Evidence Collection & Mapping#
AI copilots can help identify, extract, and map evidence for compliance frameworks. By integrating with cloud APIs or pulling metadata from tools like Jira, GitHub, or AWS, AI can assist in matching artifacts to specific controls. While manual validation is still critical, copilots can dramatically accelerate initial collection and reduce human error.
3. Security Awareness & Training Support#
Imagine a chatbot trained on your internal security FAQs, acceptable use policies, and phishing playbooks. Employees can interact with it to get real-time, contextual security guidance—no more digging through intranet wikis or Slack threads. This fosters a security-aware culture without adding to the security team’s workload.
4. Streamlined Risk Assessments#
By leveraging AI to auto-summarize vendor questionnaires or risk reports, teams can cut through the noise and focus on what matters. Copilots can also suggest remediation steps or generate first drafts of risk acceptance justifications, all based on historical decisions and internal policy language.
5. Audit Preparation on Autopilot#
Audits are notorious time sinks. AI copilots can assist in preparing narratives for control descriptions, flagging potential gaps, and even simulating auditor Q&A sessions based on prior engagements. Think of it as having a tireless audit prep partner who never forgets a detail.
The Human Element Remains Key#
Of course, AI isn’t a silver bullet. Oversight, critical thinking, and context still matter. Copilots can help write policy, but they shouldn’t set it. They can summarize risk, but can’t own it. The key is to strike the right balance—lean on AI to do the heavy lifting, while keeping humans in the loop for judgment and strategy.
Drata’s Built-In AI: Going Beyond Copilots#
At Drata, we’ve embedded AI capabilities directly into our platform—not as a gimmick, but as a practical way to eliminate friction across your compliance journey. Whether it's auto-generating control narratives, recommending remediation steps, or helping answer customer security questionnaires, our AI features are designed to keep your team efficient, accurate, and ahead of schedule.
Want to see it in action? Check out Drata’s AI Questionnaire Assistance feature here!
Final Tips for Adoption:#
- Start small: Pick a low-risk task (like internal FAQs) to pilot.
- Train it well: The quality of outputs is only as good as your inputs.
- Keep humans in the loop: Use copilots to assist, not replace.
AI copilots aren’t the future of security and compliance—they’re already here. The teams that embrace them today will be tomorrow’s leaders.
About the Author: Joshua Stuts is a Senior Security Manager at Drata, where he leads a growing team focused on securing cloud-native infrastructure and scaling security operations. With a background in DevSecOps and a passion for automation, he’s driven by the challenge of building modern, business-friendly security programs. Outside of work, Josh enjoys managing risks beyond just cybersecurity—as an adventure-seeking adrenaline junkie in Colorado.
Joshua Stuts — Senior Security Manager Drata https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPA7M9FZ_WMuedCWODW0uX0zABOZQhHBPhVRfE7SGYeJ8JVYa9sQPmWG0F7nkl3j2-8D-RJsG35047RVI-Ag5VbKPUtegzo4Ra7IJTZCrAS458sztQb_0dCx75VvDuCn5c_2KRuE3gZuVkjKjn-vDnFqlAMSpV2gi2lkTHZc5EIlH3G8PvpLwBVFtaTio/s1600/jj.png
