[Panel] AI Dependency Threshold: Building a Smarter Workforce Without Creating Operational Fragility
About This Session
AI is rapidly changing how employees research, write, analyze, code, communicate, and make
decisions. While these tools can improve productivity and expand workforce capabilities, they
may also weaken critical thinking, reduce knowledge retention, and create dependence on
systems employees may not fully understand.
This panel will examine how organizations can build AI fluency without sacrificing human
judgment, foundational skills, or operational resilience. Panelists will discuss how leaders can
recognize when automation has crossed from productive augmentation into excessive
dependency, including the risks of reduced oversight, provider concentration, limited fallback
capabilities, and an inability to operate effectively when AI systems are unavailable.
decisions. While these tools can improve productivity and expand workforce capabilities, they
may also weaken critical thinking, reduce knowledge retention, and create dependence on
systems employees may not fully understand.
This panel will examine how organizations can build AI fluency without sacrificing human
judgment, foundational skills, or operational resilience. Panelists will discuss how leaders can
recognize when automation has crossed from productive augmentation into excessive
dependency, including the risks of reduced oversight, provider concentration, limited fallback
capabilities, and an inability to operate effectively when AI systems are unavailable.
Speaker
Dan Lohrmann
Field CISO, Public Sector - Presidio
Dan is an experienced cybersecurity and technology leader with a career spanning government, industry, academia, and public-sector advisory roles. He currently serves as field chief information security officer (CISO) for public sector at Presidio, advising government organizations on cybersecurity strategy and best practices.
From 2002 to 2014, Dan led cybersecurity and technology infrastructure teams for the State of Michigan. He has also advised the White House, the National Governors Association, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, federal, state and local government agencies, and Fortune 500 companies.
Dan is the co-author of Cyber Mayday and the Day After: A Leader’s Guide to Preparing, Managing and Recovering from Inevitable Business Disruptions. He has authored two additional books and contributed to five others.
Dan has served on cybersecurity and information assurance advisory boards at five universities and as adjunct faculty at two universities. He also advises cybersecurity companies serving the public sector and speaks internationally on cybersecurity, technology, and government leadership.
From 2002 to 2014, Dan led cybersecurity and technology infrastructure teams for the State of Michigan. He has also advised the White House, the National Governors Association, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, federal, state and local government agencies, and Fortune 500 companies.
Dan is the co-author of Cyber Mayday and the Day After: A Leader’s Guide to Preparing, Managing and Recovering from Inevitable Business Disruptions. He has authored two additional books and contributed to five others.
Dan has served on cybersecurity and information assurance advisory boards at five universities and as adjunct faculty at two universities. He also advises cybersecurity companies serving the public sector and speaks internationally on cybersecurity, technology, and government leadership.