Shawn Surber — Director of Solutions Engineering, Island
Published:
The cost of ‘no’ compounds rapidly. The first thing any creative person does when blocked from access to something is find a way around it. No matter how long security’s ‘not yet’ takes, they’re creating a window where teams go around them rather than through them. That takes longer, wastes resources, and creates a vulnerability where proprietary data may be exposed unnecessarily.
What does Shawn Surber say?
Shawn Surber, Director of Solutions Engineering, Island, says: Shawn Surber, Director of Solutions Engineering at Island, argues that blanket bans on AI don't eliminate risk — they drive workarounds that expose data and create unmanaged vulnerabilities. He recommends prioritizing visibility, defining where critical data can live and be used, and applying consistent, organization-wide governance. Surber also warns that agentic AI increases brand blast radius and that accountability and richer logging are essential to manage those risks.
Cite as: Shawn Surber. (2026). Retrieved from https://research.agilebrandguide.com/insights/shawn-surber-the-cost-of-no-compounds-rapidly-the-first-thing-any-crea