Abstract

The speed with which cyber threats are evolving is calling for fresh approaches to enhance cybersecurity and protection of privacy. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is proving to be a revolutionary factor in enhancing cybersecurity, providing powerful capabilities for intrusion detection, malware detection, and privacy protection. This article outlines an in-depth review of the use of AI in cybersecurity with particular reference to future directions and trends in research. Applying the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) format, we discuss more than 9,350 papers from the years 2004 to 2023. The research discerns 14 wide-ranging categories, such as AI- driven intrusion detection, privacy-preserving federated learning, malware classification via deep learning, and blockchain-assisted integration of cybersecurity. AI makes cybersecurity more effective despite the computationally extensive resource requirements, adversarial attack vulnerabilities, and ethical issues. This article prioritizes the use of further research in secure AI, normative AI-based practices, and regulation to further support privacy protection. Furthermore, new frontiers of quantum machine learning, AI explainability, and deepfake countermeasures are explored, potentially as routes for future security growth