Issue Theme 3 The Vanguard: whether trust can be secured while AI adoption scales

Summary

Gartner's third theme treats trust as the central challenge. It argues that as risks grow and regulators look more closely, trust cannot be compromised as organisations scale AI and digital transformation. The trends in this group stress security that acts early, open and accountable governance, and the integrity of digital content, which help organisations guard their reputation, stay compliant and keep stakeholder confidence. Four trends belong here: cybersecurity that acts ahead of attacks, verification of digital origin, security platforms built for AI, and geopatriation. The question the theme raises is whether organisations can secure trust fast enough to keep pace with expanding AI adoption.