Information Networking Institute Launches Future of Secure AI Executive Education Program this Spring

February 16 update: This program is being rescheduled to accommodate the availability of our participants. If you're interested in being notified of future executive education offerings, please complete this interest form.

This March, the Information Networking Institute (INI) at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) launches an executive certificate program for aspiring and senior leaders navigating the evolving landscape of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI). The Future of Secure AI program integrates the INI’s excellence in information security education with the university’s leadership in AI engineering, bringing in CMU professors and industry experts to lead hands-on sessions for participants.

“Executives across industry and government are having to make strategic choices about how best to embrace AI systems while safeguarding their information and people,” said Dr. Dena Haritos Tsamitis, INI director and co-lead for the certificate program. “With our innovative curriculum, industry connections and deep experience developing well-rounded engineers, the INI has the expertise to strengthen leaders’ mastery of the ways AI and security intersect.”

This fast-paced, hands-on program takes place March 3–6, preparing aspiring and senior-level leaders to bridge AI, cyber resilience and strategic foresight. Through the curriculum, participants will gain strategic foresight into future AI and cybersecurity trends while building executive-level literacy in AI risk, governance and defense. 

“As AI systems are increasingly embedded in mission-critical and high-consequence environments, security can no longer be treated as an afterthought,” said Dr. Michael Mattarock II, associate director of the INI and assistant teaching professor, who is co-leading the program with Dr. Haritos Tsamitis. 

"This certificate is designed for leaders who need to understand not only the policy and governance implications of AI, but also the technical dimensions including adversarial machine learning, AI architecture and secure deployment at scale. Opportunities to learn directly from our remarkable guest speakers and connect with peers will also provide a network of support that will extend beyond the program.”

In addition to Haritos Tsamitis and Mattarock, guest speakers from industry will lead workshops and participate in panel sessions, bringing their insights on the rapid evolution of AI and its implications for security. Featured speakers include David Brumley, Chief AI and Science Officer at Bugcrowd and CMU professor and former CEO of Mayhem; INI alum and serial entrepreneur Rohyt Belani; and cybersecurity and risk assessment maven Terry Roberts, who leads WhiteHawk CEC.

The INI has a history of innovative leadership in cybersecurity and AI. Its M.S. in Information Security (MSIS) program, founded in 2003 in response to the critical need for advanced security engineers, is top-ranked and nationally recognized. For over 20 years, the INI has participated in the National Science Foundation (NSF) Scholarship for Service (SFS), graduating over 260 security experts into government roles. The MSIS is the cornerstone of two Carnegie Mellon designations as a National Center for Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) for Cyber Operations and Cyber Defense. 

That innovation continued with the introduction of the M.S. in Artificial Intelligence Engineering - Information Security (MSAIE-IS), a first-of-its-kind program that pairs the INI’s deep expertise in information security engineering with the advancements in AI engineering at CMU. These two degree programs provide the educational foundation for the Future of Secure AI certificate, bringing industry and government leaders timely perspectives on the intersection of security and AI.

Applications for the Future of Secure AI executive certificate are rolling until February 10, 2026. For more information, please see the website. If you have questions about whether the program is a good fit, please email ini-execed@andrew.cmu.edu.