TikTok CEO Urges Firms to Address AI Cybersecurity Risks

TikTok CEO Chew Shou Zi urged companies to improve their understanding of cybersecurity risks associated with artificial intelligence (AI). Speaking at the DBS Asia Future Forward conference in Singapore on October 12, Chew warned that users might grant AI agents overly broad permissions, including access to credit card information, without fully comprehending the consequences.

Chew highlighted that "agentic AI," systems capable of independent action, has reduced the cost of producing spam. He also advised companies to train their employees against sharing trade secrets or legally privileged information with public chatbots. TikTok itself introduced labels for AI-generated content in 2023.

In related developments, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and international partners released guidance on the secure adoption of agentic AI in May 2026. Singapore has also issued guidelines concerning the use of personal data in generative AI.

Chew predicted that the world likely overestimates AI in the short term but underestimates it in the long term. He added that viewers still value authenticity and that there is a "non-zero chance" AI could surpass human capabilities in certain areas.