Researchers have demonstrated ‘Zealot,’ a proof-of-concept AI-driven attack framework capable of executing complete cloud attack chains, from initial access through privilege escalation and lateral movement, autonomously and at speeds that research reporting suggests may outpace conventional SOC triage workflows. The significance is not a specific vulnerability but a capability threshold: AI-augmented adversaries may, according to early secondary reporting, complete attack objectives before defenders finish classifying the first alert. Note: Primary research publication has not yet been located; this summary is based on secondary coverage and should be validated against primary sources before determining organizational response scope. This signals a potential structural shift in the offense-defense timeline that organizations relying on human-paced incident response should assess in their threat models.