Which of the following is the MOST effective control to safeguard a model’s architecture, weights,...

The most effective way to protect proprietary AI model components—architecture, weights, hyperparameters—is through strict access controls and encryption (option D).

AAIA identifies model theft and reverse engineering as high-severity security risks, especially for organizations whose competitive advantage relies on intellectual property embedded in AI models.

Proper controls include:

Role-based access control (RBAC)

Encryption at rest and in transit

Model-level access segregation

Hardware security modules (HSMs)

Zero-trust access principles

Training (A) increases awareness but does not enforce protection.

Confidentiality agreements (B) are legally binding but do not stop technical intrusions.

Audit logs (C) track training data but do not secure the model itself.

Thus, encryption and access control provide the strongest protection.