AI Risk Communication for the Boardroom: What CISOs Need to Know

FAIR Institute Breakfast Meeting during RSAC26 Signals a Shift in How Security Leaders Must Engage Leadership

The conversation about AI risk has fundamentally changed—and so must the way CISOs communicate it. That's the core message behind the FAIR Institute and SAFE Security's executive breakfast during RSAC 2026 Conference, taking place Wednesday, February 25 at the St. Regis Hotel.

Register Now for the FAIR Breakfast During RSAC26 

The New Reality

Artificial intelligence is no longer an emerging technology concern relegated to IT risk registers. It has become a board-level decision accelerator with unclear exposure, shifting regulatory requirements, and tangible financial consequences. 

CISOs today face a unique confluence of challenges:

• Rapid AI adoption without historical precedent – No loss history to model against, no established actuarial tables
• Board demand for decision-ready insight – Maturity models and compliance checklists aren't enough
• Regulatory uncertainty colliding with real risk – Capital allocation and reputation are on the line while rules remain in flux
• Disconnect between technical signals and executive decisions – Traditional cyber risk reporting breaks down when applied to AI

Boards are asking sharper, more specific questions. Many organizations are struggling to answer them with confidence.

What CISOs Will Learn

This isn't a technical AI security session. It's a governance and decision-making conversation featuring leaders who sit at board tables, advise boards, invest in AI companies, and carry accountability for cyber risk outcomes.

The discussion will address critical friction points between security, leadership, and governance:

• How AI has changed the nature of board-level risk questions
• Where traditional cyber risk reporting fails in AI contexts
• What creates confidence versus concern when presenting AI risk
• How uncertainty is evaluated and governed at the executive level
• Practical steps CISOs can take to influence AI strategy and oversight

Who Should Attend

This session is essential for security leaders being asked to:

• Explain AI risk without becoming an innovation blocker
• Translate technical uncertainty into business-relevant tradeoffs
• Support board decisions with defensible, quantified insight
• Evolve from control-based to consequence-based AI governance

The 2025 FAIR Breakfast featured speakers from UC Davis, IHG Hotels, Victoria's Secret and Aboitiz Power.

The Bottom Line

CISOs will leave with a clearer understanding of how executives and boards actually interpret AI risk, what decision-makers need from security leadership, and actionable guidance for evolving risk communication practices in an AI-accelerated world.

Event Details:
FAIR Institute Breakfast Meeting Sponsored by SAFE
Wednesday, February 25, 7:00 - 10:00 AM
St. Regis Hotel, Conservatory Room (Level Four)

Register Now for the FAIR Breakfast During RSAC26 

The era of explaining AI risk in purely technical terms is over. It's time to speak the language of business decisions, capital allocation, and strategic tradeoffs.