CEO tells The National that navigation interference and AI vulnerabilities now form a single threat surface for critical systems.
PALO ALTO, Calif., Apr. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Jack Hidary, CEO of SandboxAQ, issued a stark warning about the merging threats of GPS interference and AI-related cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Speaking to The National, Hidary emphasized that GPS jamming and spoofing, alongside AI-enabled cyberattacks, represent a unified operational threat to critical systems, necessitating a cohesive strategy for resilience.
SandboxAQ is actively addressing these dual threats with its innovative technologies: AQNav, which leverages the Earth’s magnetic field—similar to the navigation methods used by birds and other animals—to provide robust positioning, navigation, and timing in environments where GPS signals are compromised, and AQtive Guard, designed to enhance AI security and manage cryptographic postures effectively.
The nature of GPS interference is evolving from rare incidents to becoming an operational norm. In June 2025, reports emerged of widespread location-service disruptions affecting various consumer devices, maritime vessels, and aircraft across multiple Middle Eastern countries. Moreover, in September 2025, it was reported that GPS jamming impacted a flight carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, an incident attributed to Russian interference.
Hidary recounted alarming instances in aviation, stating, “Recently, there was a plane flying and because it lost GPS because of jamming, the autopilot would not engage,” referencing pilot reports that indicated cascading failures in aircraft systems following GPS loss. This technology, AQNav, has already been tested by the U.S. Air Force and several aviation companies, and has garnered interest from airlines in the Middle East.
Linking the threat of GPS disruptions to emerging challenges in artificial intelligence, Hidary remarked, “Large language models are also a vector of cyberattack.” He highlighted the risks posed by nation-state hackers exploiting generative AI tools, referencing a significant incident involving Samsung, where engineers inadvertently exposed confidential information by inputting it into ChatGPT.
The World Economic Forum’s 2026 Global Risks Report identifies cyber insecurity as the sixth most critical short-term global risk, with the adverse effects of AI technologies ranking fifth in a ten-year outlook. The report signals a notable rise in the severity of technological risks anticipated over the next decade.
As organizations worldwide grapple with increasingly complex threats, the imperative for integrated strategies addressing both GPS vulnerabilities and AI risks becomes more urgent. SandboxAQ’s initiatives reflect a proactive approach to safeguarding critical infrastructure, particularly as reliance on digital navigation and AI systems grows.
For further insights or to request a demo of their technologies, interested parties can visit sandboxaq.com. Comprehensive coverage from Davos is available in The National.
About SandboxAQ
SandboxAQ is an enterprise company at the forefront of delivering AI solutions that bridge machine learning and scientific advancements. Spun out from Alphabet in 2022, it specializes in developing Large Quantitative Models (LQMs) across various sectors, including life sciences, cybersecurity, financial services, navigation, and advanced materials.
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