Subvolts take AI apps are a new security threat; traditional defenses fail against dynamic, AI-driven software. Feb 1, 2026 - Developers
- Understand how AI code generation shifts risk and why traditional security methods are insufficient for modern apps.
- Business
- Learn about the growing, invisible risk of AI-powered apps that may compromise user data and trust.
This interview provides a timely and specific look at a critical, emerging security challenge in AI applications.
#319 Subho Halder: Why Traditional App Security Fails in the Age of AI
Audio streams from Craig S. Smith. Your place is remembered on this device.
From Subvolts
Summary and analysis by Subvolts editorial, AI-assisted.
Eye on AI host Craig Smith interviews Subho Halder, CEO of Appknox, about how AI is undermining traditional mobile app security. Halder explains that AI-powered apps, including wrappers and agents, have become dynamic systems. This shift creates new risks like data harvesting and lowers the barrier for attackers, making traditional security models insufficient.
Imagine apps that learn and change on their own. While helpful, this AI makes them harder to secure. This episode explains how sneaky apps can steal your data and why old security rules do not work anymore.
This episode reveals a hidden danger in AI: apps that seem safe but exploit users. It's crucial for anyone building or using AI applications. Halder discusses how app stores struggle with AI threats and how AI code generation can increase developer burnout. This directly relates to frontier labs' ongoing work on AI safety and responsible development, as the rapid deployment of AI tools outpaces current security measures.
- HostCraig S. Smith
- GuestSubho Halderco-founder and CEO, Appknox
- Episode Title: Subho Halder: Why Traditional App Security Fails in the Age of AI
- Show: Eye on AI
- Guest: Subho Halder, co-founder and CEO of Appknox
- Length: 57 minutes
- Key Issue: AI-powered mobile apps that look safe but are not.
This episode is sponsored by tastytrade.
Trade stocks, options, futures, and crypto in one platform with low commissions and zero commission on stocks and crypto. Built for traders who think in probabilities, tastytrade offers advanced analytics, risk tools, and an AI-powered Search feature.
Learn more at https://tastytrade.com/
AI is changing how software is built, but it is also quietly breaking how security works.
In this episode of Eye on AI, host Craig Smith sits down with Subho Halder, co-founder and CEO of Appknox, to unpack a growing and largely invisible risk. AI-powered mobile apps that look safe but are not.
Subho explains how the explosion of ChatGPT-style app wrappers, agentic AI, and rapid app creation has transformed software from static code into living systems, and why traditional security models no longer hold up. From fake AI apps harvesting personal data to AI agents lowering the barrier for attackers, this conversation explores the real-world consequences of AI at scale.
You will also hear why trust has become a core security metric, how app stores struggle to detect malicious behavior, and why developer burnout is rising as AI-generated code shifts risk downstream instead of removing it.
This episode is essential listening for founders, developers, security leaders, and anyone building or relying on AI-powered applications.
Stay Updated:
Craig Smith on X: https://x.com/craigss
Eye on A.I. on X: https://x.com/EyeOn_AI (00:00) Why Mobile Apps Became a Massive Trust and Security Risk
(02:45) Subho's Journey and the Birth of AppNox
(06:17) Fake AI Apps, Malicious Wrappers, and Silent Data Theft
(11:03) How Fake Apps Slip Past App Store Reviews
(15:26) The Data Harvesting Business Model Behind Fake Apps
(17:11) AI for Security vs Security for AI
(22:16) Why Trust Is Becoming a Measurable AI Performance Metric
(26:20) User Intent, Data Control, and Minimum Data Sharing
(31:10) Trust, Governments, and Why Where AI Lives Matters
(35:40) What AppNox Found in Retail App Security Audits
(39:16) How AppNox Protects Apps at Scale
(42:05) The Future of Security
- agentic AI
- Subho Halder
- AI that can act on its own to perform tasks.
- app wrappers
- Subho Halder
- Software that bundles an app's code, often used to add AI features.
55 min42 min51 min34 minUkraine's Secret Weapon: The Points System Winning the Drone War | Andrii Hrytseniuk
WithAndrii Hrytseniuk
1 h 16
1 h 04
2 h 14AGI Debate: Is It Finally Here? | EP #227
WithSalim Ismail, Dave Blundin, Alexander Wissner-Gross
Questions people ask
- How is AI changing app security?
- AI transforms apps into dynamic systems, making traditional security models ineffective against new threats like data harvesting and easier attacks.
- What are the risks of AI-powered apps?
- Risks include fake AI apps stealing personal data, AI agents lowering the barrier for attackers, and increased developer burnout from managing AI-generated code.
Page generated Oct 19, 2026. Summaries are Subvolts' own; the audio, artwork and notes belong to Craig S. Smith.