Netskope has introduced a new capability within its NewEdge network designed to accelerate access to artificial intelligence applications while maintaining enterprise-grade security controls, as organisations grapple with surging AI traffic and tighter compliance demands.The company said its NewEdge AI Fast Path enhances the performance of secure connections to AI services by optimising routing across its private global infrastructure, reducing latency and improving user experience without bypassing inspection or policy enforcement. The move comes as enterprises expand the use of generative AI tools for coding, data analysis, customer support and internal knowledge management, often creating tension between speed and governance.
San Jose-based Netskope, a specialist in secure access service edge and cloud security, has invested heavily in its NewEdge private cloud network, which spans more than 70 regions worldwide. The network is designed to inspect traffic inline rather than backhauling it to central data centres, an approach the company argues is better suited to AI-driven workloads that rely on high bandwidth and low latency.
Chief executive Sanjay Beri said enterprises are under pressure to provide employees with seamless access to AI platforms while ensuring sensitive data does not leak to external models. He noted that AI usage has risen sharply across sectors including finance, healthcare and manufacturing, forcing security teams to rethink legacy architectures. “Organisations should not have to choose between performance and protection,” he said, describing the new capability as a way to deliver both.
Generative AI adoption has accelerated since the public debut of large language models such as those developed by OpenAI and Google. Enterprises are embedding AI into productivity suites, customer-facing chatbots and software development pipelines. Analysts estimate that enterprise AI spending will grow at double-digit rates over the next several years, fuelled by demand for automation and advanced analytics.
That growth has also introduced fresh risks. Security leaders warn that employees may inadvertently upload confidential information to public AI services, exposing intellectual property or personal data. Regulators in Europe, North America and parts of Asia have tightened scrutiny of cross-border data flows and algorithmic accountability. As a result, companies are seeking tools that can monitor AI usage, enforce data loss prevention policies and provide detailed visibility into prompts and outputs.
Netskope’s NewEdge AI Fast Path aims to address these concerns by identifying and optimising traffic destined for AI applications, while applying granular controls. According to the company, the system can distinguish between sanctioned and unsanctioned AI services, enforce role-based access and prevent sensitive data from being transmitted inappropriately. At the same time, it seeks to minimise the performance penalties often associated with deep packet inspection and cloud security gateways.
Industry observers say performance has emerged as a critical differentiator in the AI security market. AI models often operate through application programming interfaces and require rapid back-and-forth data exchanges. Traditional security stacks, built around perimeter firewalls and centralised inspection, can introduce delays that frustrate users and hinder productivity. SASE architectures, which combine networking and security functions in a distributed cloud model, are increasingly viewed as better aligned with modern workloads.
Competitors including Zscaler, Palo Alto Networks and Cloudflare have also announced AI-focused security enhancements over the past year, reflecting intense competition in the sector. Research firms tracking the SASE market project continued consolidation as enterprises favour integrated platforms over point solutions.
Netskope has sought to differentiate itself through ownership of its underlying infrastructure rather than relying extensively on third-party cloud providers. The company argues that controlling the network stack allows for tighter integration between routing, inspection and policy engines, enabling features such as AI Fast Path to be deployed more efficiently. It has also emphasised its Zero Trust Network Access framework, which verifies user identity and device posture before granting access to applications.
Corporate technology leaders say AI security must evolve beyond simple blocking mechanisms. Many organisations now permit the use of selected AI tools but require strict oversight. Features such as prompt monitoring, contextual policy enforcement and data classification are becoming central to governance strategies. NewEdge AI Fast Path is positioned as part of this broader shift toward enabling, rather than restricting, AI usage under controlled conditions.
Netskope has indicated that the new capability is available to customers using its SASE platform and will integrate with existing data protection and threat prevention modules. The company did not disclose pricing changes, though analysts note that performance enhancements often strengthen the value proposition for bundled security services.
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