KEY POINTS
- CEO Tomer Weingarten dismissed concerns that new AI coding tools like Anthropic’s “Claude Code” will replace comprehensive security platforms.
- The executive argued that while AI can scan for vulnerabilities, it lacks the autonomous, end-to-end protection required for modern enterprises.
- Cybersecurity stocks faced a significant market dip following investor fears over AI-driven disruption to traditional business models.
SentinelOne CEO Tomer Weingarten addressed growing market anxiety regarding the impact of generative artificial intelligence on the cybersecurity sector. During a recent CNBC interview, Weingarten responded to a sharp decline in industry stock prices triggered by the launch of Anthropic’s “Claude Code.” This new tool, designed to find and fix software vulnerabilities, led some investors to fear that traditional security platforms might become obsolete. Weingarten countered this narrative, stating that specialized AI tools are not a substitute for a full-scale security infrastructure.
The executive emphasized that there is a fundamental difference between a code-scanning tool and a holistic defense platform. He explained that while Claude and similar products “raise the bar” for what technology can achieve, they remain limited in scope. According to Weingarten, protecting an entire enterprise requires a battle-tested system capable of real-time detection and response across all endpoints and cloud environments. He argued that scanning code is merely one part of a much larger, more complex security program.
The market reaction to Anthropic‘s announcement was swift, with major firms like CrowdStrike, Zscaler, and SentinelOne all seeing notable percentage drops. Investors are increasingly wary of “agentic AI” that can automate tasks previously performed by human experts or dedicated software. Weingarten acknowledged the power of these new models but maintained that they serve as a “force multiplier” rather than a replacement. He suggested that the true value lies in integrating these capabilities into a unified, autonomous platform like SentinelOne’s Singularity.
Weingarten also pointed out that the current threat landscape is becoming more dangerous as attackers adopt their own AI tools. He noted that adversaries are already using models like Claude to maximize their operational speed and efficiency. To counter this, defenders must move toward “AI-native” security that can match the tempo of modern cyberattacks. In his view, the gap between being vulnerable and being compromised has collapsed, making real-time autonomous response more critical than ever before.
The CEO’s comments align with other industry leaders who have expressed confusion over the market’s pessimistic view of AI. Leaders from Palo Alto Networks and CrowdStrike have similarly argued that AI is a tool for scaling security, not a threat to its existence. Weingarten believes that enterprises will ultimately choose platforms that offer predictability and proven guardrails over experimental coding assistants. He reaffirmed SentinelOne’s commitment to building “machine speed” cybersecurity that keeps humans informed but not overwhelmed.
Looking ahead, Weingarten expects AI to fundamentally redefine the role of security professionals. Instead of manual triage, teams will focus on strategic oversight while autonomous systems handle the bulk of threat mitigation. He remains confident that the ongoing innovation in large language models will actually drive more customers toward advanced security vendors. The interview concluded with a reminder that in the age of AI, the most resilient organizations will be those that embrace automation as a core pillar of their architecture.
