Adapting the Privacy Profession to Changing Times

In this Future of Privacy Forum blog post, author Doug Miller shares his thoughts on how privacy teams must evolve beyond their traditional compliance role and position themselves as strategic partners within organizations navigating AI, cybersecurity, youth online safety, and broader data governance challenges. He argues that issues once considered merely “privacy adjacent” are now central “data governance gateways” that give privacy professionals new opportunities to influence organizational strategy and decision-making.

Miller explains that modern privacy teams should build strong alliances across departments such as cybersecurity, AI governance, trust and safety, marketing, and compliance. Rather than seeing the expansion of AI governance responsibilities as a burden, he suggests privacy leaders can use these high-priority issues to gain visibility with executives, secure resources, and help guide organizations through increasingly complex regulatory and technological environments. Effective leadership, communication, and cross-functional collaboration are presented as essential skills for privacy professionals moving forward.

The article also traces the evolution of privacy teams from isolated legal or compliance functions into broader governance leaders helping businesses compete in the AI era. Miller highlights how AI is reshaping areas such as advertising, cybersecurity, youth protections, and global regulatory strategy, creating a need for organizations to rethink how they manage data, build consumer trust, and engage customers. He argues that privacy and governance leaders are uniquely positioned to help companies adapt their business models while balancing innovation with responsible design and accountability.

Miller contends that privacy teams must embrace a more ambitious and strategic mindset to remain relevant. While collaboration and business alignment are critical, he cautions that governance teams must still be willing to challenge risky decisions when necessary. He concludes that the future success of privacy programs will depend not only on technical expertise, but also on human leadership, persistent communication, and the ability to unite organizations around responsible growth, trust, and long-term resilience in the age of AI…

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