October 23, 2026 | Knoco International
During Global Knowledge Management Week, October 19–23, 2026, Knoco International presented three complementary perspectives on the future of Knowledge Management (KM): global research into KM maturity, the quality of knowledge in an AI-enabled world, and the governance needed to sustain organizational learning.
Presentations by Cory Cannon, Ian Fry, and Glenroy London pointed to a common conclusion: technology alone cannot deliver organizational intelligence. Organizations need trusted knowledge, clear accountability, and practices that connect learning with decisions and outcomes.
Cory Cannon: Insights from the 2026 Global KM Survey
Cory Cannon reviewed findings from the 2026 Global Survey of Knowledge Management in the context of five survey cycles conducted from 2014 through 2026. The 2026 survey included 141 validated responses, with approximately 1,270 valid core demographic responses across the five cycles. The results offer directional insights rather than a statistically representative global census.
Learning from experience, document access, best-practice sharing, knowledge retention, reuse, and communities of practice remain central KM priorities. Despite the growing focus on AI, these established practices continue to matter because organizations must first capture, contextualize, and validate knowledge before relying on it for consequential decisions.
The research also illustrated the sustained investment associated with KM maturity. Early-stage programs averaged approximately four years, well-progressed programs about eight years, and deeply embedded programs more than eighteen years. These are observed associations, not fixed maturity timelines.
Key insight: Mature Knowledge Management is a long-term organizational capability—and a foundation for responsible AI and organizational intelligence.
Ian Fry: Quality Knowledge Management in the AI World
Ian Fry examined what makes knowledge genuinely useful: whether it is trusted, current, meaningful, accessible, and relevant to critical business processes. Counting documents or repository visits is insufficient if knowledge does not change decisions or performance.
The session traced the lessons-learned process from observation to validation, action, changed behavior, and improved outcomes. A captured observation becomes valuable only when the organization evaluates it and uses it to improve practice.
Ian also described three complementary relationships between KM and AI:
- KM supporting AI: governed, contextualized, validated knowledge improves the foundations on which AI operates.
- AI supporting KM: AI can help people find expertise, lessons, relevant content, and communities.
- KM and AI working together: human expertise and AI-enabled capabilities can jointly improve organizational learning and decision-making.
The discussion emphasized that AI should not be assessed solely through cost reduction. Workforce development, innovation, decision quality, and sustainable business outcomes also matter.
Key insight: AI increases—not decreases—the importance of knowledge quality, human judgment, and measurable KM outcomes.
Glenroy London: Knowledge Management Strategy and Governance
Glenroy London addressed the management structures that allow KM to endure. Knowledge initiatives can stagnate when ownership is unclear, content becomes obsolete, silos persist, or organizations rely on software without establishing operating discipline.
His presentation considered ISO 30401 as a framework for aligning KM with organizational context, leadership, resources, performance evaluation, and continuous improvement. Governance must reflect the organization’s mission and culture rather than reproduce a generic model.
Clear responsibilities—including RACI-based accountability—help establish who owns, validates, maintains, shares, and retires knowledge. Communities of practice, peer review, lessons learned, psychological safety, and expert access support the human side of knowledge flow.
Measurement should examine reuse, operational time saved, knowledge value, and improvement—not simply the volume of content stored. Periodic health checks and audits can identify gaps and reinforce effective practices.
Key insight: Governance turns isolated KM activities into a sustained organizational capability.
Three Perspectives, One Organizational Imperative
The three sessions form a connected agenda for organizational leaders:
- Evidence: Understand KM maturity, organizational needs, and where improvement is required.
- Quality: Ensure that critical knowledge is accurate, current, contextualized, accessible, and trusted.
- Governance: Establish accountability, leadership support, and continuous improvement so knowledge remains useful over time.
These dimensions reinforce one another. Evidence helps set priorities; quality makes knowledge fit for use; governance sustains the capability. Together, they create stronger foundations for organizational learning, innovation, and AI-enabled decision-making.
Looking Beyond Global KM Week 2026
Artificial intelligence is changing how organizations discover and apply information, but it does not replace the need for knowledgeable people, trusted sources, or responsible governance. The essential challenge remains getting the right knowledge to the right people, in the right context, when it is needed.
Knoco International thanks Ian Fry, Glenroy London, and everyone who participated in the Global KM Week conversations. We look forward to continuing this international exchange through research, consulting, training, and collaboration.
Knowledge First. Intelligence Always.
For the original event announcement, see Knoco International Joins Global Knowledge Week 2026.