Protecting Your First-Party Data: My Thoughts in Forbes Magazine

Why safeguarding first-party data is critical for AI success—Airbyte CEO Michel Tricot in Forbes on secure, portable, governed data infrastructure.

Michel Tricot

Jun 3, 2025

Updated Jun 29, 2026

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2 min

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Protecting Your First-Party Data: My Thoughts in Forbes Magazine

In this era of rapid AI innovation, managing your data the right way is more important than ever. That's why I wanted to share my latest Forbes Tech Council article, "AI Depends on Your Precious Data: Don't Lose Control Over It."

We’re at an inflection point. Organizations are pushing hard to adopt generative AI, but in the process, many are giving up control over their most valuable asset — first-party data. That’s a short-term play with long-term consequences.

The value of protecting your first-party data is manifold. Not only do you avoid the risks of compliance and security violations, most importantly you also retain valuable, strategic information that ensures a competitive advantage in a competitive marketplace.

At Airbyte, we’ve always believed that your data should move on your terms:

Governed
Portable
Secure
And always under your control

When you build infrastructure that respects those principles, you’re not just checking compliance boxes — you’re future-proofing your company. You’re creating the foundation for AI systems that are relevant, trustworthy, and strategic.

I invite you to read the full article and reflect on what kind of AI future you want to build — and whether your infrastructure is setting you up to get there.

Michel Tricot
CEO & Co-founder, Airbyte