SOC automation crossed the trust threshold

For years, AI in the security operations center was confined to triage and enrichment — humans still pulled every trigger. In 2026 a meaningful share of teams crossed the line into automated response for well-understood incident types, inside tight guardrails.

The shift happened because analyst burnout and alert volume left no other option, and the track record finally earned trust.

Signal: the constraint was never capability — it was trust. Once earned, automation moves from advisory to active.