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RSAC 2026: AI Dominates, But Community Remains Key to Security As AI took center stage at this year's conference, experts debated automation, oversight and the evolving role of human intelligence in cybersecurity — despite the US government's notable absence. Kristina Beek , Rob Wright April 2, 2026 Source: Dark Reading RSAC 2026 Conference brought together cybersecurity professionals from around the globe to discuss the evolving landscape of digital security, with artificial intelligence (AI) taking center stage. While the official theme of the conference, "The Power of Community," underscored the importance of human collaboration in addressing cybersecurity challenges, the focus on AI highlighted both its transformative potential and the risks it introduces. In this latest installment of the monthly Reporters' Notebook collaboration series, Rob Wright , news director at Dark Reading, TechTarget SearchSecurity senior site editor Alissa Irei , and Eric Gellar, senior reporter at Cybersecurity Dive discuss the main themes at the show from their perspectives on the ground, including groundbreaking use cases in security operations centers (SOCs) and concerns about AI-driven vulnerabilities. One of the most striking observations from the conference was the absence of the US federal government , a key player in cybersecurity discussions. The void left attendees questioning the government's commitment to fostering public-private partnerships, addressing pressing issues like AI governance and national cybersecurity strategy, and the US's relationship with foreign governments. Meanwhile, the European Union and others stepped in to share their perspectives, further emphasizing the gap left by the US delegation. This absence was especially noticeable considering the theme of the conference, and it raised concerns about what the future of cybersecurity will look like for the US and across the globe. Related: Ransomware Will Hit Hospitals. Rehearsals Are Key to Defense Amidst the debates surrounding AI, the conference also highlighted the growing pressure on organizations to adopt AI solutions rapidly, often without adequate safeguards. Experts warned of the vulnerabilities introduced by AI coding assistants and the risks of allowing agentic AI systems to operate without human supervision. Yet, there were moments of optimism, such as the example of AI autonomously identifying a malicious insider in a SOC, demonstrating its potential to alleviate the burden on overworked analysts. As the cybersecurity community grapples with all of these challenges, RSAC 2026 Conference served as a reminder of the delicate balance between innovation and caution, and the enduring importance of human contributions in shaping the future of cybersecurity. Learn more in the video, and also check out our Reporters' Notebook full series , which is designed to bring together insights and coverage from across Informa TechTarget's network of cybersecurity sister sites. Related: How Organizations Can Use Mistakes to Level Up Their Security Programs Rob Wright, Alissa Irei & Eric Geller: Full Video Transcript This transcript has been edited for clarity and length by Informa TechTarget's internal AI assistant. For the full experience, please watch the video. Dark Reading's Rob Wright: Hi, I'm Rob Wright with Dark Reading. TechTarget SearchSecurity's Alissa Irei: I'm Alissa Irei with SearchSecurity. Cybersecurity Dive's Eric Geller: And I'm Eric Geller with Cybersecurity Dive. DR's Rob Wright: And we are here to talk about RSAC Conference 2026. Yes, RSAC, which happened last week. You both were there on the ground in San Francisco. I was covering it from afar. I have my own thoughts on this, but wanted to see what you thought of the show last week, what you heard, and how it stacked up against the theme of the conference, which stood out to all three of us. Alissa, why don’t you take it away? TTSS's Alissa Irei: Sure. The theme of the conference was community , which was an interesting and pointed choice because the acronym on everyone’s lips at the conference and in general is AI. The choice to underscore the importance of community was intentional. It emphasized the importance of human operators and human involvement in AI processes. There’s anxiety, not just in our field but in every field, about job replacement and AI use. The organizers were making the point that we still need humans. Artificial intelligence is not intelligent without human operators, and for the safety of ourselves and others, humans need to be involved in these processes. Eric, what was your impression of the conference on the ground versus the theme? Related: Software Development Practices Help Enterprises Tackle Real-Life Risks CD's Eric Geller: Everywhere you looked, there was a focus on AI , particularly understanding the threat landscape and trying to get ahead of it with new defensive solutions. That was a common theme in many sessions, even if they weren’t explicitly billed as AI talks. For me, the big theme was the tagline on all the posters, "The Power of Community." However, a major part of the community was missing — the federal government, which pulled out of the conference a few weeks before it began. Every year, government representatives attend to listen to the community and discuss their own plans. This is one of the places where those conversations are the most fruitful, according to many people I spoke to before and during the conference. There's anxiety about what this absence means. It raises questions about whether the government is as interested in participating in these events as it used to be. There have been cuts at agencies that work closely with the business community and security researchers who make up much of the attendance at RSA and similar events. This absence was a striking contradiction to the emphasis on community. Many people wondered whether it sends a broader signal. We’re looking for more information from the government about the cybersecurity strategy they recently released. Many felt RSAC would have been the perfect place to roll out details about what the strategy means in practice. That didn’t happen, leaving a void in conversations typically stewarded by federal agencies. DR's Rob Wright: That’s interesting. My colleague Becky Bracken at Dark Reading wrote about how other governments, such as those in the EU , brought their cybersecurity experts to discuss developments in their regions. However, the gap left by the US government was noticeable. I wrote a story a few weeks ago about spyware policies and a potential shift in US policy. Many opponents of spyware, including civil society organizations, cybersecurity researchers, and vendors specializing in this area, expressed concern about a lack of communication and cooperation with the government. They felt they were flying blind, with no clear strategy or direction. Eric, to your point, this absence has made a major impact. TTSS's Alissa Irei: It’s an interesting moment of unprecedented change. Ideally, this would be a time for public-private partnerships , cooperation, and input from the private sector on public regulations and legislation. The absence of the federal government is notable and unlikely to ease anyone’s anxieties about AI, which are already plentiful. DR's Rob Wright: My anxiety is off the charts. Let’s talk about AI. Managing all the stories coming in and covering sessions, it was clear that AI was a major focus at the show. More than two-thirds of the sessions had some AI component or were solely focused on AI. One thing I found interesting was the split between C-level executives and researchers. Researchers emphasized the need for human oversight and caution with agentic AI rollouts and coding assistants. They called for more guardrails and oversight. On the other hand, some higher-ups argued that human over