IAC26 Opening Keynote “Context Architecture: IA at the Center of AI”

AI products are trained on data, but they “behave” based on context. The structures, relationships, and constraints we encode into information directly influence how AI reasons, decides, and acts. And how that context is designed has real consequences for bias, safety, and trust.

This talk reframes information architecture as behavior design, focusing on the context within which AI interprets the world. It explores how traditional IA tools such as taxonomies, schemas, and ontologies evolve when they become active inputs to AI.

As AI becomes more powerful, the role of IA expands. Not just to structure information, but to shape behavior. Responsible for creating systems that are not only intelligent, but also aligned, accountable, and safe to use.