Trusted AI, Financial-Grade Sustainability And Robust Risk Management: Key Takeaways From Workiva Amplify 2026

In mid-September, Workiva held its annual Amplify conference in Las Vegas, bringing together more than 2,500 customers and partners to exchange experiences and discuss challenges in financial reporting, risk and sustainability. Throughout nearly every session we attended – both on the main stage and in breakout discussions – AI was featured prominently; and the conversation centred as much on choice and governance as on the technology itself. Customer-led sessions were another highlight, with Workiva users – including Best Egg, Lyft, M&T Bank, Micron, Northern Trust, Starbucks and The Hershey Company – sharing lessons and practical advice about their own sustainability and risk programmes.

A few themes stood out:

• Organizations want control over AI adoption.
  Workiva made its view on AI clear: every customer should not embrace the same level of automation, but should rather be able to select the AI-enabled capabilities that align with its goals and risk tolerance. In a general session, CEO Julie Iskow compared AI adoption to choosing how to travel from Point A to Point B via car: an organization might opt for an older, low-tech car; a vehicle with advanced driver assistance features; or a fully self-driving model. In short, firms should be able to choose the level of AI functionality that best fits their needs.
• Collaboration between finance, risk, audit and sustainability is here to stay.
  Amplify brought together professionals in audit, finance, risk and sustainability, underscoring the importance of collaboration across these functions. One sustainability leader, for example, noted that their finance team was their ‘closest partner’ when preparing sustainability data, while another sustainability speaker mentioned that engaging with their internal audit team was valuable for strengthening data governance procedures.
• Foundational readiness matters.
  Amid regulatory uncertainty, many of Workiva’s customers we spoke with were focused less on preparing for a single sustainability regulation and more on building durable data and control foundations. During a panel on sustainability assurance, representatives from all of the Big Four accounting firms emphasized the importance of data readiness and quality, with one Big Four member saying that this was the time to double down on data infrastructure and controls. Even so, the looming SB 253 deadline remained a recurring topic of discussion.
• AI innovation does not come at the expense of core values and capabilities.
  Workiva’s latest AI innovations within its GRC solution span agents for policy management, audit reporting, automated testing and remediation. At the same time, Workiva recognizes that its users have asked for developments in traditional core areas. As such, it has dedicated resources to bringing non-AI improvements to other elements of the platform, such as data visualizations, reporting tools and pre-built frameworks for global audit standards.

Breakout sessions geared towards sustainability professionals were packed – even standing-room-only in some cases – showing Workiva customers’ continued interest in sustainability data and reporting. We would have liked to hear more examples of how customers are using sustainability data to improve overall business performance – rather than simply for reporting. Workiva has recently added more functionality support to these use cases, especially on the carbon side, and panellists throughout the conference occasionally alluded to these achievements.

Better data and stronger controls are vital for both these sustainability use cases and to provide a solid foundation for the next stage of AI adoption. Enthusiasm for AI within the Workiva platform was unmistakable. One sustainability leader said that they were already working with a colleagues to activate Workiva’s AI functionality as quickly as possible. This response captured the conference’s defining takeaway: customers are eager to explore AI, as long as they can do so on their own terms and with the right controls in place.

For more information about how software vendors are incorporating AI into their sustainability and GRC solutions, check out Verdantix Strategic Focus: Use Cases For AI Agents In Sustainability Reporting and Verdantix Green Quadrant: GRC Software 2025.