Only 10% of SOCs Say They’re Getting Excellent Value From AI. Here’s What the Second Wave Has to Deliver
Jun 05, 2026
Security Operations / Artificial Intelligence
Eighteen months ago, the AI SOC was a marketing line. Today it's a budget item. The category has crossed over from interesting to inevitable, with billions of dollars now flowing into AI-powered security operations platforms, agentic SOC tools, and AI co-pilots built into every layer of the security stack. The data shows SOCs are buying, deploying, and standing up AI capabilities at the fastest pace the industry has ever seen. And yet, the same SOCs reporting record AI adoption are reporting underwhelming outcomes. The first objective benchmark on the value of AI in the SOC was published in the SOC-CMM 2026 Maturity Report in May, drawing on survey data collected from roughly 200 SOCs across regions, sectors, and delivery models between late January and mid-March 2026. Only about 10% of respondents said AI has delivered excellent value to their SOC. About 19% reported good value. The remaining 71% landed at some value or none at all. Eighteen months into AI deployment, that...
