AI Agents, Governance & the Future of Software Development | Derek Holt | Recorded Live at AI4 2026

How can enterprises move from AI experimentation to real-world transformation without sacrificing security, governance, or trust? Recorded live at AI4 2026 in Las Vegas, Sanjay Puri speaks with Derek Holt, CEO of Digital.ai, about the rapid adoption of AI agents and what organizations need to do to deploy them responsibly at scale. Derek argues that successful AI transformation is not just about technology. It requires organizations to rethink people, processes, governance, security, and change management. He explains why the biggest challenge isn't simply building AI—it is changing the way businesses work around it. The conversation explores AI agents, software development, AI governance, enterprise transformation, cybersecurity, AI adoption, shadow AI, ROI, change management, and the evolving role of the Chief AI Officer. In this episode: * How AI agents are transforming software development * Why governance and security must be built into AI adoption * Moving AI pilots from experimentation to production * Why people and process matter as much as technology * How organizations should rethink workflows for AI * Reskilling employees for the AI era * Why CEOs and boards cannot outsource AI knowledge * Managing shadow AI through controlled experimentation * How companies should measure AI ROI * Why change management is critical to AI transformation * The future of the Chief AI Officer * Why AI must earn our trust Derek also shares why organizations should be "in a hurry, but not in a rush"—moving quickly while making sure AI is deployed securely, confidently, and at scale. Whether you're a Chief AI Officer, CEO, CIO, CTO, technology leader, policymaker, or enterprise AI practitioner, this conversation offers practical insights into building an AI-first organization without losing sight of people, process, and trust. Recorded live at AI4 2026 in Las Vegas by Knowledge Networks. Subscribe for more conversations with global leaders shaping the future of AI, enterprise transformation, governance, and responsible innovation. Chapters: 00:00 Why AI agents need governance and security 00:25 Meet Derek Holt, CEO of Digital.ai 00:49 The challenges of autonomous AI agents 01:19 AI's impact on software development 01:49 Governance, automation, and security 03:04 Why people, process, and technology matter 03:49 Moving from AI pilots to production 04:34 Why enterprises need to rethink workflows 05:24 The new roles emerging in the AI era 06:40 Scaling AI securely and confidently 07:19 Will AI eliminate jobs? 08:12 Reskilling for the AI workforce 09:20 Why CEOs can't outsource AI knowledge 10:48 Why so many AI pilots fail 11:18 Measuring ROI from AI 12:13 How Digital.ai is becoming an AI-first company 12:40 The three ingredients for successful AI transformation 13:06 Why change management is critical 13:46 How to prioritize AI use cases 14:25 "We're in a hurry, but we're not in a rush" 15:04 Managing Shadow AI 16:16 Are AI agents overhyped or underhyped? 16:54 Optimizing AI costs and model selection 17:29 Will the Chief AI Officer still exist in five years? 18:14 What decisions should AI make? 19:04 Why AI must earn our trust #ArtificialIntelligence #AI4 #AI42026 #AIAgents #AIGovernance #EnterpriseAI #DigitalTransformation #SoftwareDevelopment #AISecurity #ChiefAIOfficer #ResponsibleAI #DigitalAI #SanjayPuri