OPAQUE: Secure AI for Sensitive Data - CEO Aaron Fulkerson

OPAQUE is developing Confidential AI infrastructure to help enterprises use sensitive data in AI. This technology enforces policies during execution and provides verifiable evidence of what occurred. OPAQUE CEO Aaron Fulkerson shared insights into his background and the company's mission. He noted that in his past roles, trust, not technology, was often the bottleneck. He believes AI is at a similar point today. Enterprises are hesitant to use sensitive data because they can't verify what happens during processing. Fulkerson explained that OPAQUE embeds security and compliance from the start, rather than adding it later. This approach helps overcome resistance and speeds up adoption. The system generates verifiable evidence of data processing, shifting the focus from speculation to proof. The founding team identified a key problem: while data is encrypted at rest and in transit, protections often disappear during active processing. OPAQUE aims to address this gap. This technology could allow companies to leverage AI with sensitive information more securely.