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Belgium’s Aikido launches cybersecurity AI model as demand for local tools grows

By Thomson Reuters Sep 21, 2026 | 9:14 AM

Sept 21 (Reuters) – Belgian cybersecurity firm Aikido on Monday released an ​open-weight artificial intelligence ‌model designed for cybersecurity applications, seeking to help companies use AI security tools ‌without ​sending sensitive code ⁠to external ⁠providers.

Rising concern over criminals using AI to identify and exploit software vulnerabilities ​has fuelled demand for defensive AI tools ⁠that can ⁠be run locally.

• ‘Altar’ ​is a compressed & customized version ​of Z.AI’s open model ‌GLM-5.3 and will be available openly for local deployments, the company ⁠said

• The model will be deployed in Aikido solutions deployed to ⁠customers ‌such as Belgian ⁠bank Belfius.

• Aikido, ​one ‌of Europe’s leadingcybersecurity ​firms, reached ⁠a $1 billion (871.31 million euros) valuation in January.

(1 euro = $1.1477)

(Reporting by Leo Marchandon in Gdansk; Editing by Matt ​Scuffham)