#226: ASU, Cloudflare & IDC on AI Governance in the Higher Ed Wild West

In this EDUCAUSE episode, Lester Godsey from Arizona State University, Dan Kent from Cloudflare, and Matthew Leger from IDC break down why most institutions are still in the AI Wild West - and what it actually takes to govern, secure, and scale AI across a campus before agentic systems make the problem exponentially harder.

Featuring

Lester Godsey is Chief Information Security Officer at Arizona State University - back at ASU after 30 years, having previously served as CISO at Maricopa County where he led cybersecurity through the 2020 and 2024 elections.

Matthew Leger is Senior Research Manager at IDC covering worldwide education and EdTech digital strategies - previously an academic researcher at Harvard Kennedy School and administrator at SUNY Albany, with over a decade across nearly every seat in higher education minus professor (though it’s on the list). : )

Dan Kent is Field CTO at Cloudflare - focused on helping public sector customers navigate emerging technologies, with 18 years working alongside higher education organizations and five kids who between them have given him more higher ed exposure than most.

Timestamps

(2:40) The Higher Ed AI Wild West - Matt on aimless experimentation, siloed adoption, and why coordination is the real governance problem

(5:45) ASU's Create AI Platform - Lester on the walled garden approach, 50+ LLMs, and the internal ethical AI engine built before he arrived

(8:00) AI in 2025 is where cloud was in 2010 - Dan on why undefined terminology is creating fear in boardrooms and legislatures

(10:00) Agentic AI is the biggest security concern - Dan on why giving agency to a machine is a fundamentally different risk than generative AI

(17:00) Shadow AI is just shadow IT - Lester reframes the governance problem and walks through ASU's nuanced three-tier DeepSeek response

(22:00) Less than 50% have a data governance plan - Dan on what he's hearing from public sector customers on AI readiness

(27:00) Declining trust in higher ed - Matt on whether the ROI skepticism is real and how AI can help institutions demonstrate value

(30:40) ASU's student-led SOC - Lester on training the next generation of analysts with agentic AI and security orchestration

(33:00) Final takes - AI as a security tool, tabletop exercises for AI threats, and why today's students will shape AI's ethical future

Listen now: YouTube x Apple x Spotify

Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways you can connect with TechTables:

1. 📬 The TechTables Newsletter

Thanks for reading TechTables! Get early access to new episodes, insights, upcoming events, and more — straight to your inbox.

Join now: https://www.techtables.com/

2. 🤝 TechTables CIO Communities for Local Government

A private, vendor-free network where public sector CIOs share what’s actually working

Members get:

- 2x National Retreats (facilitated by Info-Tech Research Group & Gartner)

- 4x CIO Virtual Roundtables 

- Monthly “Behind the Mic” intelligence briefing doc

Apply to Join → https://techtables.com/communities-local-government

3. 🤝 The Better Together Virtual Series

The narrative-driven series bringing together industry partners and public sector CXOs. Discover the compelling stories that unfold when we stop working in silos and start building together.

»»» Email joe@techtables.com to learn more.

Platinum Newsletter Sponsor:

Missed out on Info-Tech LIVE in New Orleans? No worries, you can join TechTables & Info-Tech Research Group at Info-Tech LIVE 2026 - Las Vegas (June 9 - 11, 2026)!

Gold Newsletter Sponsor:

SentinelOne - Learn how SentinelOne empowers this state to stay secure.

Verizon Frontline -The advanced network that keeps first responders connected when it matters most.

Carahsoft - The Trusted Public Sector IT Solutions Provider™, supports government agencies and education/healthcare markets. Contact your Carahsoft rep today to access special discount pricing exclusively through the TechTables + Carahsoft partnership!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit techtables.substack.com