Task force to establish industry-driven governance frameworks that drive agentic AI innovation forward
San José, CA (May 1, 2026) —The Silicon Valley Leadership Group (SVLG) – the leading business association representing the innovation economy and its ecosystem – today announced its Agentic AI Task Force, a cross-sector initiative housed under SVLG’s Center of Expertise on Tech & Innovation.
The Task Force addresses the next critical frontier in AI: the transition to autonomous agents capable of planning, deciding, and acting. As these systems move beyond content generation and into business operations and decision-making workflows, they are operating in a regulatory vacuum. The Agentic AI Task Force will proactively shape the trajectory of these technologies, establish industry-driven governance frameworks, and ensure California continues to lead the world in defining how autonomous systems are developed and deployed.
Uniquely positioned to lead this work, SVLG is leveraging direct member engagement to facilitate research, market leadership, and high-level stakeholder convenings necessary to align technical acceleration with policy comprehension and enterprise adoption, ensuring California’s continued dominance in the global AI race.
“California has always defined the next frontier of innovation, and Agentic AI is no exception,” said SVLG CEO Ahmad Thomas. “These systems will reshape how businesses operate, how decisions get made, and how value is created across every sector of our innovation economy. By bringing industry and policymakers together early, SVLG’s Agentic AI Task Force is ensuring California sets the standard for thoughtful deployment and global competitiveness.”
“Agentic AI marks a fundamental shift in what this technology can achieve, making it critical for the Golden State to lead in this moment,” said Ziyang Fan, SVP of Technology & Innovation and Executive Director of the Institute for California AI Policy (ICAP) at SVLG. “This Task Force is focused on educating stakeholders, clearing the path for responsible deployment, tackling the real-world barriers slowing adoption, and ensuring California sets the global agenda on Agentic AI.”
The Task Force is driving impact and shaping the future of autonomous systems through three strategic pillars:
- The Foundational Framework: Leveraging the collective expertise of member companies to establish industry-driven standards, beginning with a comprehensive Agentic AI Primer and Glossary, criteria for responsible deployment, and a Workforce Primer to reskill and upskill workers for an agent-integrated economy.
- The Collaborative Network: Facilitating high-level forums that bridge the divide between industry pioneers, academic researchers, and public officials, including cross-industry roundtables that break down institutional silos and a Tech & Innovation Summit elevating the conversation from theoretical potential to practical application.
- The Public Voice: Acting as a proactive voice to shift the conversation from reactive restriction to proactive enablement, engaging early in Sacramento to raise awareness of emerging capabilities before they reach the legislative floor, and using strategic storytelling to highlight how shared lessons across sectors are defining the next phase of AI.
The initiative is part of SVLG’s Future Forward Agenda, a multi-year effort to strengthen regional innovation, shape smart policy, and drive long-term economic growth across the Bay Area and the Golden State.
About the Silicon Valley Leadership Group:
The Silicon Valley Leadership Group (SVLG) is the leading business association representing the innovation economy and its ecosystem. Founded by David Packard of Hewlett-Packard, SVLG has worked for nearly five decades to address issues that affect the region’s economic dynamism and quality of life. Today, SVLG is focused on accelerating the next era of Silicon Valley leadership, activated by our Institute for California AI Policy (ICAP) and three new Centers of Expertise (COE): Technology & Innovation, Business Competitiveness, and Civic Impact. SVLG members collectively provide nearly one in every three private-sector jobs in Silicon Valley and contribute trillions to the global economy. For more information, visit svlg.org.
###