The Invisible Workforce - Securing Shadow AI and Autonomous Agents

About the Event

Every business has employees who are already using AI. Most of them have no idea what those employees are sharing. Some of those businesses have already deployed AI agents that are taking autonomous actions inside their systems — and most of those agents have never been reviewed by IT.

This is the Invisible Workforce: the unsanctioned AI tools and autonomous agents operating inside your organisation right now, outside your governance frameworks, beyond your security perimeter, and largely invisible to your leadership team.

Join us for an exclusive evening networking event that brings together two of the most urgent and underappreciated cybersecurity risks of 2026 — Shadow AI and Agentic AI. This event will give Northern Ireland business leaders the insight and practical tools to govern these risks before they become a crisis.

The cybersecurity conversation in Northern Ireland has focused heavily on external threats like ransomware and phishing. But the most significant new risk vector of 2026 is internal — driven by well-intentioned employees trying to do their jobs faster.

• Shadow AI has reached epidemic proportions. Over 80% of workers now use unapproved AI tools, and 43% admit to sharing sensitive work information without their employer's knowledge.

• Agentic AI is accelerating rapidly. Gartner predicts that 40% of enterprise applications will feature task-specific AI agents by the end of 2026. Yet, 88% of organisations running AI agents reported a confirmed or suspected security incident in the past year.

The intersection of these two trends creates a category of risk that most enterprise security programmes are not built to handle. Learn how to protect your organisation from these emerging threats.

MD/Co-Founder, Kastro.AI Scott Bewley is the Managing Director and co-founder of Kastro.AI, a firm specializing in AI systems audits, compliance with the EU AI Act and ISO 42001, and comprehensive AI training. With an MBA in Artificial Intelligence and extensive background in operational leadership at major companies like PwC, Vodafone, and Barclays, Scott brings a wealth of knowledge on the responsible and ethical implementation of AI technologies.

Cyber Risk and Resilience Lead, Net Consultants Gordon Jeffers is a highly experienced Cybersecurity, IT Governance, and Operational Resilience Consultant with over 30 years of expertise. He has a proven track record of delivering technology transformation and cyber risk management across the UK and Ireland. Gordon is highly regarded for his ability to translate complex technical and regulatory concepts into clear, practical business language.

Manager, Clockwise Belfast Rachel McMillan will facilitate the panel discussion, bringing her expertise in managing dynamic workspaces and fostering business communities at Clockwise Belfast.