Dr. Azhar Ushmani: Developing Solutions at Scale in Modern AI/ML Security

Amid the rise of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) technology, concerns about protecting critical infrastructure have followed a similar trajectory. As an AI cybersecurity expert and GenAI security researcher, Dr. Azhar Ushmani develops intelligent defense systems to protect modern data infrastructure at scale. Today, he applies these solutions at the leading cloud infrastructure platform, where his research connects AI security theory with practical use in high-risk environments.

Dr. Ushmani’s career began not as a machine learning (ML) security researcher but as a software engineer in India. While focused on building enterprise applications, he witnessed a series of devastating cyber breaches and security failure rates upwards of 70% against new threats. This experience motivated him to pursue advanced academic training, culminating in a PhD in AI security and a transition from developer to leader in AI-powered threat detection.

Reflecting on this shift, Dr. Ushmani emphasizes that successful AI/ML security leadership needs more than just technical skills. He points out the importance of active executive support, solid technical foundations, and safe data environments to help take complex AI projects from research to real-world use. At the same time, he highlights the necessity of ongoing learning, independent thinking, and strong leadership. This includes challenging assumptions when needed but fully committing once decisions have been made. His approach is grounded in a principle of proactive security management, meaning anticipating new threats, building resilient systems, and guiding organizations through changing cybersecurity risks with foresight and responsibility.

Today, Dr. Ushmani serves as a Security Engineer, contributing to AI Security projects at the leading cloud infrastructure provider. Recognizing the need for solutions ranging from national-security AI to healthcare cybersecurity AI, he has developed AI security frameworks to protect ML services at scale, achieving a 40% increase in zero-day exploit-detection accuracy.

“I develop explainable AI techniques, differential privacy, and federated learning security; enabling transparent, accountable systems for the governance-first era of 2025-2026,” Dr. Ushmani continued. “My work protects millions of users, translating theoretical research into practical security implementations at scale.”

Over the course of his professional and academic career, Dr. Ushmani has made numerous contributions to adversarial machine learning defense research. He has authored more than 20 peer-reviewed publications, which have been cited more than 75 times; multiple patents; and demonstrated impact. Fundamentally, his work addresses the growing challenge of cybercrime through novel AI security frameworks.

For his achievements in AI security, Dr. Ushmani was selected as a judge for CanHack 2026, highlighting peer recognition of his expertise. He has completed more than 10 peer reviews for several renowned journals and has accepted speaking invitations from ISACA. In addition, Dr. Ushmani is currently under consideration for two competitive fellowship opportunities, with news regarding decisions expected in the coming weeks. Serving as an independent expert evaluator reflects his ability to solve critical problems, even when traditional security solutions may fail.

As the focus of AI security shifts to governance-centered strategies, Dr. Ushmani believes, the capacity to create transparent, accountable systems alongside technological advancement will define the next generation of leaders.

Looking forward, Dr. Ushmani aims to create an AI Security Research Lab focused on adversarial ML defense. To this end, his goal is to build lasting partnerships with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and various government agencies. Together, Dr. Ushmani hopes to advance U.S. security priorities with AI.

As for his professional ambitions, Dr. Ushmani aims to become a chief information security officer while maintaining his activity as an AI/ML researcher. In addition to his mission detailed above, he envisions himself as a national security researcher. As AI security becomes less a convenience and more a necessity, leaders like Dr. Ushmani will be necessary for long-term success.