AI Is Moving Fast, But Trust Is Struggling To Keep Up: Why Security And Risk Leaders Can’t Miss Forrester’s AI Forum
Every organization is accelerating AI adoption. Far fewer are confident in the outcomes it produces. As AI systems become more autonomous, the risks shift from model accuracy to decision integrity, from security systems to assuring organizational trust. And for security leaders, that changes everything.
We’ll tackle this head on in our inaugural AI Forums in Singapore and Sydney in August. The Forums are designed to help leaders turn AI into action and unlock the unique opportunity AI presents. The events include three session tracks, including one focused on security that’s based on a simple but urgent imperative: For AI to deliver value, its outcomes must be correct, auditable, and safeguarded. That requires more than new tools. It demands a new security mandate, one built on trust and assurance.
So what can CISOs expect from the security track?
Embrace The New Trust-And-Assurance Security Organization
Madelein van der Hout’s opening keynote will set the direction for the entire track. The CISO role is expanding: Generative and agentic AI are not just new technologies to secure; they are reshaping how security teams operate, collaborate, and deliver value. This session explores what that shift really means in practice, from restructuring teams and building new capabilities to embedding security into broader business and AI initiatives. You’ll also learn how to prepare your teams for new responsibilities and how to extend security culture across an increasingly complex ecosystem of stakeholders.
See How Other CISOs Are Leaning In And Out Of AI
Some CISOs are leaning in. Others are holding back. AI Forum will include two customer tracks: In the first, we’ll host two guest sessions exploring how some CISOs are getting hands-on with AI while staying grounded in reality. In the second, you’ll learn how other CISOs are choosing to focus on building the right foundations first, deliberately strengthening data, architecture, and processes before introducing AI. Both tracks will explore how these CISOs are navigating budget pressure, burnout risk, and shifting expectations, all while moving security toward a trust-and-assurance model. Expect a candid discussion on what’s working, what isn’t, and how to balance AI ambition with organizational constraints.
Protect The Agentic Enterprise With AEGIS
The agentic enterprise is closer than most organizations think, and it introduces a fundamentally new risk landscape. In this session, Geoff Cairns will introduce AEGIS — Forrester’s Agentic AI Enterprise Guardrails For Information Security framework. AEGIS helps CISOs move beyond reactive controls toward a holistic, future-ready approach to securing autonomous systems. We’ll explore why agentic AI demands a new security paradigm, how emergent behaviors redefine risk, and the practical steps that leaders can take now to implement guardrails that protect intent, preserve trust, and enable innovation.
Securing Agentic Software Development
AI-powered coding is transforming software development at speed, and it’s of course also introducing a new class of vulnerabilities. Janet Worthington will share her decades of experience as she examines how autonomous coding tools are reshaping application security, from the risks embedded in AI-generated code to the challenges of governing development in an agentic environment. Janet will break down what’s changing, what security leaders need to watch for, and how to adapt practices to secure software in this rapidly evolving landscape.
Align And Clearly Communicate Your Security Strategy
Security strategy has always mattered. In the age of AI, clarity and alignment matter even more. Madelein and Janet will lead an interactive workshop, where you’ll work with peers to build a clear, actionable cybersecurity strategy that connects directly to business priorities. From defining mission and purpose to aligning with stakeholder expectations, this session focuses on turning strategy into something you can communicate and execute.
Join Us To Adopt AI Confidently
The security track is part of a broader AI conversation, but its role is foundational. Without trust, there is no scale. Without assurance, there is no adoption.
Across the Forum, leaders will explore AI from multiple angles, from go-to-market transformation to customer experience to operating model reinvention. The security track anchors that conversation in what makes all of it viable: confidence in outcomes.
Forrester’s AI Forum 2026 runs in Singapore on August 20 and Sydney on August 25. If you’re a CISO or security leader navigating how to secure AI while enabling it, this is where you’ll find the frameworks, peers, and practical guidance to move forward with confidence.