As AI continues to move from "novel experiment" to a disruptive innovation, University Advancement offices find themselves at a critical intersection. While AI seemingly promises to revolutionize donor engagement and multiple areas of the advancement enterprise, it also introduces significant risks to data governance, cybersecurity, privacy and ultimately, donor trust.

This session presents the findings of a 2026 case study conducted across a diverse cross-section of higher education institutions. We intend to move beyond the "AI hype" to look at the reality of institutional adoption: Who has a formal policy around governance and security? How are shops handling the "Shadow AI" problem and training teams on the safe and effective use of AI? And how is the evolving legal landscape changing the way we vet vendors?

Closed captioning available for this session, bring your own fully charged phone, tablet, or laptop to access the captions.