Q&A: Your Face Is Now Part of the Threat Landscape, Warns Sarah Armstrong-Smith

Sarah Armstrong-Smith, former Chief Security Advisor for Microsoft EMEA, warns that faces, voices, and online presence have become part of the personal attack surface in the age of image-based AI. She explains how AI platforms infer far more than users realize from casual interactions, how organizations underestimate generative AI security risks by treating tools as mere productivity enhancers, and what practical steps both companies and individuals should take. Key recommendations include designing safety in before deployment rather than bolting it on reactively, conducting adversarial red teaming, minimizing data exposure by design, and individuals leveraging data protection rights to request deletion or challenge automated processing.