Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly adopted in cybersecurity to overcome the limits of traditional methods. Using machine learning, deep learning, and analytics, AI enables real-time monitoring, anomaly detection, and automated responses. Its applications span threat detection (intrusion and malware identification, including zero-day exploits), threat analysis (predictive models for vulnerabilities and proactive defense), and data protection (enhanced encryption, insider threat detection, and regulatory compliance). While challenges such as adversarial AI, ethical concerns, and implementation barriers remain, AI offers a transformative path toward proactive, adaptive, and resilient cybersecurity systems.