California AI Summit Tackles Human Control Over Machines

Tech leaders head to Napa Valley next month for a summit that could reshape how we think about AI control. The Human-Authorized conference on February 23, 2026, brings together companies wrestling with a big question: how do we keep humans in charge when machines get smarter?

H2H, Affinidi, LF Decentralized Trust, and the Advanced AI Society are hosting the invite-only event. They’re targeting folks who deploy AI agents, write the rules these systems follow, or handle the legal headaches when things go wrong. The focus? Identity and trust solutions that let people keep control of their data while AI does its thing. It’s basically about making sure your AI assistant actually works for you, not some faceless corporation collecting your info.

Michael Casey gets straight to the point. He cofounded H2H and chairs the Advanced AI Society.

“Our AI agents must genuinely operate on our behalf,” Casey said. The summit will show off tech that backs up human intentions when AI systems make decisions. Casey thinks we need proof that humans stay in the driver’s seat, even when machines handle routine tasks.

Glenn Gore runs Affinidi and he’s worried about timing. “Privacy hasn’t kept pace with AI deployment,” Gore said. His company built the H2H Connect app that does secure identity checks without the surveillance stuff. People at the summit can test it out and see how it works. Gore wants to flip the script on data control – instead of companies hoarding your information, you get to decide who sees what.

The event happens right before the Linux Foundation Member Summit. That’s not a coincidence.

Daniela Barbosa from the Linux Foundation thinks open-source standards matter for AI accountability. She’s pushing for transparent rules that different AI systems can follow. Barbosa wants these standards ready before AI agents start making bigger decisions on their own. The foundation already supports projects that could become the backbone for AI governance. More on this topic: Alexandre Roubaud Defends Bitstack Amid Regulatory.

Big names are speaking too. Clay Shirky wrote books about how tech changes society. Jim Zemlin runs the Linux Foundation and knows open-source better than most people. Michelle Dennedy built her career on privacy tech and she’ll probably have strong opinions about current AI practices.

The summit’s agenda packs in panel talks and hands-on workshops. Attendees get to test privacy tech and see identity solutions that plug into existing AI systems. It’s not just talking – people will walk away with actual tools they can use at their companies. The interactive format means less PowerPoint, more doing.

Gore’s keynote digs into decentralized trust systems. He’ll explain how these networks let AI agents and humans interact securely without giving up privacy. Recent crypto advances make this stuff possible now, not in some distant future. Gore plans to show real examples of how secure frameworks actually work in practice.

The H2H Connect app demo should be interesting. Built on LF Decentralized Trust standards, it lets users manage professional connections without surveillance. People can test the app during the summit and see if it lives up to the hype. The demo aims to prove decentralized solutions work for regular business tasks, not just crypto trading.

Scott Stornetta helped invent blockchain and he’s talking AI governance. His session covers how blockchain’s permanent records could track AI decisions. Stornetta thinks distributed ledgers can make AI operations transparent and accountable. He’ll explain the tech basics for people who don’t eat, sleep, and breathe blockchain. More on this topic: Biden Convenes Banks and Cryptos to.

Wendy Seltzer brings the legal perspective. She’s spent years fighting for digital rights and knows how regulations actually get made. Seltzer will talk about what laws we need for AI accountability. Her focus: building legal structures that support innovation while protecting individual rights. Regulators are listening to these conversations, so her input matters.

Baratunde Thurston hosts the “Life with Machines” podcast and thinks about AI’s cultural impact. His session explores how AI changes social norms and why ethics can’t be an afterthought. Thurston wants developers thinking about cultural values from day one, not patching them in later.

Jim Zemlin closes with open-source collaboration in AI development. The Linux Foundation runs initiatives that keep AI tech accessible and transparent. Zemlin will share specific projects that advance AI governance and interoperability. His message: community-driven innovation beats corporate silos every time.

The final panel features Stina Ehrensvard from Yubico, who built secure identity verification systems. She’ll discuss authentication tech that protects user identities in digital environments. The panel wraps up current challenges and future directions for AI-driven identity solutions.

Contact [email protected] for more details about the February summit.