Security champion programs were never really about adding another security responsibility to someone's job.
At their best, they solve a much harder problem: how do you make security part of the way people already work?
That meant embedding security-minded people into engineering teams. Building relationships between security and development. Creating trusted peers who could turn security guidance into something practical and relevant.
But the way software gets built is changing.
AI is showing up in coding workflows, reviews, testing, documentation, and decision-making. Development teams are moving faster, while security teams are being asked to govern new tools, new workflows, and new risks without becoming a bottleneck.
That raises a question for every organization with a security champions program:
Is your champion network ready for what comes next?
The fundamental idea behind security champions hasn't changed.
People listen differently when security comes from someone who understands their work. A developer talking to developers can often influence behavior in ways a policy or annual training module cannot.
But the conversations champions need to have are expanding.
It's no longer just:
How do we write more secure code?
How do we spot common vulnerabilities?
How do we get developers involved in security?
Increasingly, it's also:
Where should AI be used in the development lifecycle?
What should developers review when AI generates code?
Where does human judgment need to stay in the loop?
How should teams handle AI-generated vulnerabilities or insecure patterns?
Who helps translate an AI policy into what actually happens in a pull request?
What does "secure AI adoption" look like for people outside engineering?
These aren't questions that can be answered by adding another policy document.
They require people who can bring security into the conversation where the work is actually happening.
AI doesn't eliminate the need for human judgment.
In many cases, it makes the ability to apply judgment in context more important.
That's where an established champion network can become something more than an AppSec engagement program.
A network that already has relationships across engineering can help teams adapt existing security practices to AI-enabled workflows.
And the opportunity goes beyond engineering.
As AI moves into product, data, legal, compliance, HR, and leadership workflows, organizations face a broader question:
Who are the trusted people who can help their teams adopt AI responsibly?
The answer may not be another centralized security team.
It may be a network.
This doesn't necessarily mean starting over.
Organizations that have invested in champion programs already have something valuable: a community of people who understand security, influence their peers, and can translate between security requirements and real-world work.
The next step may be figuring out how to extend that model.
Some organizations may evolve their existing champions into AI-focused advocates. Others may build a broader network that brings together people from engineering, product, data, legal, compliance, and leadership.
The structure will look different from organization to organization.
But the underlying principle remains the same:
Don't make security responsible for changing everyone's behavior. Build a network that helps everyone participate in it.
If you're running a security champions program, the most useful conversation may not be about recruiting more champions.
It may be about what you need your champions to do next.
Consider:
1. What has changed in the work your champions influence?
If AI is already part of development workflows, your program should be having that conversation.
2. Are champions influencing behavior or simply participating?
Attendance and activity tell you that a program exists. The more interesting question is what actually changes because champions are involved.
3. Can your champions translate policy into practice?
A responsible AI policy is one thing. Knowing what that policy means when an engineer opens a pull request is another.
4. Where does your champion network stop?
If AI adoption extends beyond engineering, a security-only network may not reach everyone who needs to be part of the conversation.
5. What does impact look like?
The strongest programs aren't just communities. They're mechanisms for changing how people work.
The security champion model isn't going away.
It's becoming more relevant to a much bigger question: how do you build security into an organization when the way everyone works is changing at once?
AI is accelerating that shift.
The organizations that adapt their champion programs will have an opportunity to turn existing networks into something broader: trusted communities that help teams navigate new technology, translate security into action, and make secure behavior part of everyday work.
The interesting question isn't whether your organization needs security champions.
It's what your champions need to become next.
Want to be part of that conversation?
On October 15–16, Security Journey is bringing security champions and program leaders together for the Security Champions Summit 2026, a free, fully virtual event focused on where champion programs are headed next.
Day one goes deep on building, scaling, engaging, and measuring champion programs. Day two explores what happens when the champion model meets AI, including adapting existing networks and building new AI champion communities.
Free to attend. Fully virtual. Limited seats.