AI Governance Playbook Authors to Speak at AI Governance World Conference in Las Vegas

Chris Surdak a speaker at AI Governance World in Las Vegas October 12 - 14

Chris Surdak photo

Robert Smallwood, Chair, Certified Information Governance Officers Association

AI Governance Playbook cover

AI Governance Playbook Authors Recommend an Information Governance-forward approach to AI Governance, leveraging proven principles, models, and Best Practices

AI is bolted on top of the old operating model. And then leaders wonder why the ROI isn't showing up. The tools are not the bottleneck. The structure underneath is.”

— Chris Surdak

LAS VEGAS, NV, UNITED STATES, July 23, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The AI Governance World Conference, the premier global event dedicated to managing and controlling artificial intelligence (AI) through ethical, practical, and forward-thinking governance, will convene leaders in law, business, technology, and policy in Las Vegas October 12–14, 2026 at the historic Flamingo Hotel. This year’s central theme—AI Governance at Work—reflects the urgent need for frameworks that ensure AI technologies and particularly agentic AI drive positive business outcomes for organizations and society alike.

A highlight of the conference will be sessions presented by the authors of, "The AI Governance Playbook: How to Secure, Control, and Optimize Artificial Intelligence Initiatives," Robert Smallwood, MBA, CIGO^®, CIGO/AI, who is a globally recognized authority and thought leader in Information Governance (IG), and Chris Surdak J.D., who is CEO & Founder of ReLeaf Financial, a startup which offers AI trust software. The book posits that AI Governance must leverage Information Governance's proven principles, models, and Best Practices, rather than creating a new governance structure for AI, and that core functional groups shown in the Information Governance Reference Model (IGRM) must execute key responsibilities throughout the AI software lifecycle.

Smallwood is world’s leading author, researcher, and trainer in Information Governance. He is the founder of InfoGov World Magazine, and Chair of the Certified Information Governance Officers Association (CIGOA). He created the CIGO/AI and CIGO/AI-A curriculums and certifications, and his methods have been utilized by Fortune 500 companies and AmLaw100 law firms to implement governance guardrails in pursuit of responsible and ethical AI. With more than four decades of expertise, he has authored eight books on IG, including the seminal industry-standard Information Governance: Concepts, Strategies, and Best Practices (Wiley, 2014/2020).

Christopher Surdak, J.D. is an award-winning author, technology strategist, innovator, and global expert specializing in digital transformation, data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and information governance. With a career spanning over 30 years, he transitioned from engineering spacecraft (as a rocket scientist) to guiding Fortune 500 corporations, tech startups, and government entities through the complexities of the digital era. His books include "Data Crush: How the Information Tidal Wave is Driving New Business Opportunities" (2014), Abstract’s International Book of the Year in 2014; "Jerk: Twelve Steps to Rule the World" (2016), a strategic look at disruption and organizational design; "The Care and Feeding of Bots," focused on Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and software automation tools.

Both sessions will introduce insights from, “The AI Governance Playbook” (Bloomsbury, 2026), which is a practical guide for managers, policymakers, attorneys, and risk and governance professionals navigating the rapidly evolving AI landscape. The address will explore strategies for mitigating algorithmic bias, operationalizing AI governance frameworks at scale, and aligning compliance with innovation.

Surdak has patented a method that ensures AI trust. He argues that the next major legal battleground is not just data privacy, but Human Authorization. When an autonomous AI agent executes a transaction, signs a digital workflow, or transfers data, who is legally bound by that action? To address this multi-billion dollar liability loop, Surdak invented a platform called Proof of Intent (securing U.S. Patent 12,505,416). It builds a legal and technical "Trust Stack" designed to explicitly bind human intent to machine actions, preventing companies from claiming "the AI did it without permission" when automated errors or agentic fraud occur.

Surdak posits the reason the vast majority of AI pilots have not gone on the be operationalized and produce results, "AI is bolted on top of the old operating model. And then leaders wonder why the ROI isn't showing up. The tools are not the bottleneck. The structure underneath is."

“AI can not only greatly accelerate and improve your business, with agentic AI, it can also ruin it,” said Smallwood. “Information Governance-based AI Governance is essential for agentic AI readiness. If organizations don’t establish clear accountability, ethical guardrails, and sustainable governance programs, they risk falling behind both regulators and their competition. But they then need to go beyond that to set limits on agents and to ensure that sandbox testing is truly secure."

The three-day conference will host over 50 global speakers, including executives from OpenAI, Mars, Google, Cisco, DoorDash, United States Space Force, and leading law firms like Foley & Lardner, Clarion AI Partners, DLA Piper, and Baker Hostetler, who will share actionable strategies on topics ranging from:

• Agentic AI governance challenges and new approaches
• AI governance frameworks and compliance with the EU AI Act and NIST AI Risk Management Framework
• Responsible innovation and mitigating algorithmic bias
• AI risk management in healthcare, financial services, cybersecurity, and defense
• Building trust and transparency between enterprises, regulators, and consumers

About AI Governance World Conference
The AI Governance World Conference 2026 is a premier international gathering focusing on AI Governance and AI Readiness that brings together policymakers, technologists, and executives, to explore the intersection of AI, data governance, law, privacy and cybersecurity. Held annually, hosted by the Certified Information Governance Officers Association, the conference features keynotes, an executive forum, AI Governance training, networking receptions and group dinners designed to foster engagement amongst attendees and connections with experts.

Robert Smallwood
IG World magazine
+1 504-324-2340
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Robert Smallwood
IG World magazine
6194199714 ext.
email us here
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn

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