Google and Airbus co-hosted the inaugural GenSec Capture the Flag (CTF) competition at DEF CON 33, targeting a specific gap in the security community: practical familiarity with AI-assisted cybersecurity workflows. The event was designed to be accessible across skill levels rather than reserved for elite competitors, with the explicit goal of accelerating hands-on AI adoption among defenders.

Participation and Learning Outcomes

Nearly 500 participants completed introductory challenges during the event. According to post-event survey data shared by Google, 23 percent of those participants were using AI for cybersecurity tasks for the very first time. An additional 85 percent of all participants reported finding the event useful for understanding how AI can be applied to security workflows, a figure the organizers describe as validation that AI-centric CTFs can meaningfully accelerate education and adoption in the field.

Sec-Gemini as an Optional Assistant

Competitors were given optional access to Sec-Gemini, Google’s experimental cybersecurity AI, directly within the CTF interface alongside other major large language models. The tool was not mandatory, but uptake and satisfaction were notable. Among respondents, 77 percent rated Sec-Gemini as either “very helpful” or “extremely helpful” in assisting with challenge solutions.

Google framed the event as a feedback opportunity as much as a competition. The company says community input gathered during the CTF is already being incorporated into the next iteration of Sec-Gemini, though no specific changes or timelines were disclosed.

Broader Context

The GenSec CTF fits into a wider industry push to reduce the skill and familiarity gap between offensive actors, who have adopted generative AI tools rapidly, and defenders, who often face organizational or workflow barriers to doing the same. Google’s stated intent is to continue publishing research and lessons learned from the event to the broader security community.

  • Nearly 500 participants completed introductory challenges
  • 23% used AI for cybersecurity for the first time at this event
  • 85% found the event useful for learning AI security workflows
  • 77% rated Sec-Gemini “very helpful” or “extremely helpful”

Additional findings and research from the competition are expected to be published by the Google Privacy, Safety and Security Team in the coming months.