OPAQUE Systems

In the most recent edition of the AI Confidential newsletter, we explore why traditional data masking isn’t cutting it anymore. Data masking degrades data quality, weakening AI model performance. Worse, it doesn’t fully protect sensitive information, leaving enterprises exposed to breaches. With 40% of AI-related data breaches expected to stem from poor handling of sensitive information by 2027 (Gartner), it’s clear that a better solution is needed. That’s why confidential AI is gaining momentum. Confidential AI provides the clarity and security businesses need to maximize their AI investments effectively. Major players like Apple, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Meta are shifting to these solutions to safeguard privacy and spearhead innovation—it’s clear that confidential AI has become essential for safe, successful AI implementation. In this issue, we also explore: - Insights from OPAQUE’s Aaron Fulkerson’s time at leading industry events last week in North Carolina, including: All Things Open AI and the Triangle Technology Innovators AI: Leaders Playbook. - OPAQUE’s most recent whitepapers—“Why Opaque? Why Now?” and “Bridging the Gap: How OPAQUE Complements Hyperscalers to Unlock Confidential AI”—offering a deeper look at how confidential AI helps organizations securely leverage sensitive data. Subscribe to AI Confidential newsletter for exclusive insights! #ConfidentialAI #GenAI #AIPrivacy #EnterpriseAI #AIInnovation #ConfidentialComputing #AIWorkloads #AIAdoption #DataIntegrity?

Excellent AI: Leaders Playbook event last week in Raleigh, NC! A big "Thank you" to Triangle Technology Innovators and the event sponsor Opaque Aaron Fulkerson. Outstanding AI expert speakers: Adam Sullivan, Ben Heller, Sachin Solkhan. Over 50 CxO & Tech Executives in attendance from great companies like: Labcorp, Fidelity Investments, Google, Marriott, First Citizen's Bank, SAS, Wolfspeed, SECU, JupiterOne, Microsoft, IBM, GSK, AMD, UCLA Health, Fabric Health, Chainlink Labs, AMD and more. I'm looking forward to the next event!

?? Make the Case: Why You Should Attend #CCSummit We know budgets are tight — but attending the Confidential Computing Summit is an investment in your future. To help you get approval, we’ve created a ready-to-use email template that outlines the value of attending, why it’s essential for your role, and how your ticket can be expensed. ? Customize it, send it to your boss, and get the green light to join us this June! https://hubs.la/Q03dwS630 Find out more: https://hubs.la/Q03dwXZ30 ?? Register Now https://hubs.la/Q03dwSN70

The latest McKinsey & Company Global Survey on AI confirms what we’ve been seeing firsthand. GenAI isn’t just being tested; it’s actively reshaping business operations. But not all companies are adapting at the same pace. Who’s leading the charge? Large enterprises are moving faster, restructuring workflows, hiring AI talent, and refining governance models. CEO oversight of AI governance is directly linked to higher bottom-line impact. What’s changing? Organizations are shifting from experimentation to execution. AI workflows are being redesigned, data governance is becoming more centralized, and AI-generated outputs are undergoing more structured reviews. Meanwhile, risk mitigation efforts—especially around cybersecurity, IP, and accuracy—are ramping up as organizations recognize the heightened exposure of sensitive data. What’s next? Scaling GenAI requires more than just enthusiasm. McKinsey’s findings show that companies seeing real impact are tracking clear KPIs, defining structured roadmaps, and embedding AI capabilities across teams. Yet, many still struggle to balance AI-driven innovation with the growing need for data privacy and compliance. At OPAQUE, we believe the companies that win with GenAI will be those that combine agility with accountability—moving fast while safeguarding data. As AI reshapes industries, securing its foundations will be just as critical as accelerating its adoption. That’s where Confidential AI comes in. Enabling businesses to protect and utilize their most sensitive data, these solutions remove the barriers that have historically limited AI adoption in highly regulated industries. With the right approach, organizations can unlock AI’s full potential. #GenAI #ConfidentialAI #DataPrivacy #DataSovereignty #AIInnovation #AIAdoption #ResponsibleAI #ArtificialIntelligence?

I had a nice stroll down memory lane with Brianna Monsanto at IT Brew who wrote this article about Amazon Web Services (AWS) for their "Quarter Century Project." I shared with Brianna some personal stories throughout my career about how open standards and open source propelled the next generation of technological innovation. MindTouch, a company I co-founded with Steve Bjorg and Urs Muff was one of the first customers of AWS, so I had a unique view in those early days of AWS. Read her full story here: https://lnkd.in/dPrJcBan

Forecasting new markets is always tricky. Jensen's keynote from GTC 2025 gives us a good framework to think about how AI market opportunities will evolve. We're working on a new methodology to forecast the AI opportunity, building on our existing research. Next week we'll release our next iteration. Here's a teaser...

Join us in SF at our CCSummit if you’re building enterprise data and AI applications and workflows. Learn from James about new McKinsey Research and CTO heavyweights like Mark Russinovich.

Triangle Technology Innovators hosted the AI: Leaders Playbook event this week, featuring Aaron Fulkerson and other AI and data leaders. The event provided valuable insights into the evolving role of AI in business and innovation, particularly focusing on Confidential AI. Aaron discussed how Confidential AI helps unlock sensitive data for AI projects – securely and with provable privacy. Companies grappling with data fragmentation, regulatory issues, or outdated security measures can gain a competitive edge with Confidential AI by harnessing their proprietary data for AI initiatives. Whether in the initial sandbox stages of AI adoption or moving towards full-scale production, leveraging #ConfidentialAI can address challenges and empower organizations to tap into their most critical assets for AI-driven innovation. Curious to explore the world of Confidential AI? Reach out to us for a demo: https://lnkd.in/g5CdJGZH.

The story of OPAQUE. Thanks, Jesse Landry.

I am thrilled to have participated in the inaugural All Things Open AI conference at the historic Carolina Theater in Durham, NC! It was an honor to join brilliant industry leaders Aaron Fulkerson, Nathaniel McCallum, Pankaj Telang, and our wonderful moderator, Mark Hinkle, for the panel on "Security and AI: The Strategic Imperative." As you can see from the photo, we tackled a crucially important topic while having a little fun in the process. ??? I was also fortunate to appear on Jason Hibbets's "We Love Open Source" podcast, where we had an energetic conversation about the intersection of AI and open source security—a topic I'm incredibly passionate about. ?? The conference featured some truly outstanding presentations. Jon Reifschneider's talk on "Search in the AI era: how semantic search and agentic AI are revolutionizing information discovery" offered valuable insights into the future of information retrieval. Ben Heller delivered a pragmatic session on "Prioritizing and Evaluating GenAI Use Cases" that provided actionable frameworks. And Gant Laborde's entertaining "Hacking AI – How to Survive the AI Uprising" had the audience both laughing and thinking deeply. ? The energy at this inaugural event was palpable, with the historic venue providing the perfect backdrop for discussions about cutting-edge technology. Looking forward to seeing how this conference grows in the coming years! ?? Thank you to the organizers, attendees, and volunteers for pulling off an event that far exceeded expectations! #AllThingsOpenAI #AISecurity #OpenSource #ATOAI #DurhamNC #TechConference