GCSI 2026: AI Readiness in a City Built in Layers

Chicago's unique underground Pedway system serves as a metaphor for the hidden pathways in modern organizations, highlighting the importance of understanding unseen infrastructures such as service accounts, API keys, and automated workflows. This theme was central to the GCSI Annual Conference 2026 held in Chicago, which brought together cybersecurity experts to discuss topics like AI adoption, supply chain risk, and board governance. A key focus of the event was the need for organizations to recognize and manage the hidden layers of risk and decision-making processes, especially in the context of cybersecurity, where AI is increasingly used for both offensive and defensive purposes. Panels emphasized the importance of making cybersecurity a board-level issue and translating technical risks into business language that boards can act upon. Additionally, the conference underscored the urgency of continuous governance, particularly as AI compresses timeframes and the proliferation of non-human identities becomes central to enterprise risk. The conference concluded that resilience in cybersecurity depends on the ability to navigate and govern the complex, often invisible, pathways that underpin modern business operations.