In this article, Amy Servi-Bonner, Vice President, PRINTING AI, and Stephanie Buka, Government Affairs Manager, PRINTING United Alliance, reports on AI governance in the printing industry. More information can be found at PRINTING AI or reach out to Amy directly if you have additional questions specific to how these issues may affect your business: aservi@printing.org.
Artificial intelligence continues to reshape how businesses operate, compete, and manage risk. At the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) Global Privacy Summit held in Washington, D.C. from March 30–April 2, 2026, one message came through clearly: AI governance is rapidly becoming a business requirement, not just a technology discussion.
Conversations throughout the summit focused on the accelerating pace of regulation, the emergence of agentic AI systems, evolving data and privacy concerns, and the growing need for organizations to establish practical governance structures that can keep pace with real-world adoption.
For the printing and packaging industry, this shift matters now.
AI is no longer a future-facing concept reserved for experimentation. It is increasingly becoming embedded into day-to-day business operations across print and packaging organizations, including workflow automation, estimating, customer communications, production planning, cybersecurity, scheduling, quality control, and data-driven decision-making.
At the same time, the regulatory environment surrounding AI continues to evolve quickly. In 2025 alone, more than 1,000 AI-related bills were introduced across U.S. state legislatures, alongside increasing federal attention on privacy, cybersecurity, transparency, and accountability. International frameworks such as the EU AI Act are also influencing how global organizations evaluate risk, vendor relationships, and operational oversight.
The direction is becoming clear. Organizations using AI will increasingly be expected to understand how systems are being applied, document decision-making processes, evaluate vendors responsibly, oversee data usage, and establish safeguards around business-critical applications.
For print and packaging companies, these issues are not theoretical.
AI tools are already being applied in environments that directly impact customer relationships, operational performance, workforce productivity, intellectual property, and business continuity. Whether used to optimize schedules, assist with hiring, generate content, analyze production data, or strengthen cybersecurity, these systems introduce both opportunity and responsibility.
One of the strongest themes from the summit was simple: waiting for the landscape to stabilize is not a strategy.
Many organizations already have AI capabilities operating inside tools employees use every day. In many cases, adoption is occurring faster than governance. The risk is not simply the technology itself. The risk is operating without visibility, ownership, accountability, or operational guardrails.
That is why governance must become practical, operational, and ongoing.
Effective governance is not a static policy sitting in a binder. It is a living operational discipline that helps organizations understand:
- where AI is being used,
- what decisions it influences,
- who owns oversight,
- what data is involved,
- when human review is required, and
- when systems should be reassessed as workflows, vendors, or business conditions evolve.
A framework discussed repeatedly throughout the summit can be summarized in three actions: map, measure, and manage.
Organizations should map where AI exists across the business, including embedded capabilities inside vendor platforms and workplace productivity tools. They should measure risk based on operational impact, particularly where AI may influence customer communications, employee workflows, pricing, production, cybersecurity, or business decision-making. Finally, they should manage those risks through clear ownership, vendor accountability, documented processes, human oversight where appropriate, and reassessment triggers as systems evolve.
This is exactly where PRINTING United Alliance is helping the industry move from awareness to operational readiness.
Through PRINTING AI, the Alliance is building a practical, vendor-neutral framework to help print and packaging organizations understand, evaluate, govern, and responsibly implement AI technologies within real production environments.
The focus is not hype. The focus is operational reality.
That includes helping organizations identify where AI can create measurable business value, where governance is required, where workforce readiness gaps exist, and where cybersecurity, compliance, and customer trust considerations must be addressed before scaling adoption.
As part of this initiative, the Alliance launched the AI Readiness Benchmark, an online assessment designed specifically for print and packaging organizations. The benchmark provides companies with a practical starting point for evaluating operational preparedness, governance maturity, data readiness, security considerations, leadership alignment, and organizational risk awareness related to AI adoption.
More importantly, it helps companies begin asking the right operational questions before implementation accelerates.
The AI Readiness Benchmark reinforces the Alliance’s role as the industry’s trusted, vendor-neutral authority on emerging technology adoption and business transformation.
This work extends far beyond a single assessment tool.
PRINTING AI includes a growing ecosystem of educational resources, industry research, webinars, iLEARNING+ courses, enablement services, and in-person experiences designed to help members move from exploration to responsible production-level execution.
Members will also be able to experience these initiatives firsthand at the PRINTING AI Pavilion during PRINTING United Expo, taking place September 23–25, 2026, at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
The Pavilion will showcase how AI is being applied across real print and packaging workflows while providing attendees with practical insight into operational use cases, governance considerations, cybersecurity implications, workforce enablement, and responsible adoption strategies.
As AI becomes more deeply integrated into customer communications, production systems, and operational infrastructure, responsible technology practices are becoming competitive differentiators, not simply compliance exercises.
The takeaway for print and packaging companies is straightforward: AI adoption should be intentional, informed, and operationally governed.
Organizations do not need to solve every challenge immediately. But they do need visibility into where AI already exists, a realistic understanding of the associated risks and opportunities, and a practical roadmap for strengthening readiness over time.
AI will continue to reshape the business landscape for the printing industry. Through PRINTING AI and the AI Readiness Benchmark, the Alliance is helping members navigate those changes responsibly, strengthen operational resilience, and position their organizations for long-term success.
For more information about PRINTING AI and the AI Readiness Benchmark, visit PRINTING AI.
Amy Servi-Bonner is the Vice President, Printing AI. With over 25 years of experience in technology leadership and consulting, Servi-Bonner brings deep expertise in ERP systems, digital transformation, and AI strategy. She holds an Executive Degree in AI Strategy and Governance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, as well as an MBA in Finance from Webster University. Her combination of technical acumen, consulting background, and knowledge of the printing and packaging sector uniquely positions her to guide companies through the next era of transformation.
Stephanie Buka is the Government Affairs Manager for PRINTING United Alliance. In this role, she supports Ford Bowers, CEO, the Government Affairs team, and coordinates efforts with contracted lobbying firm, ACG Advocacy. Buka is the chief editor of the Industry Advocate newsletter. She is responsible for advocacy campaigns, policy analysis, strategy development and team leadership, all aimed at promoting the Alliance's legislative agenda. She is also responsible for the administration of the Alliance's political action committee, PrintPAC.
To become a member of the Alliance and learn more about how our subject matter experts can assist your company with services and resources such as those mentioned in this article, please contact the Alliance membership team: 888-385-3588 / membership@printing.org.