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AI Agents Must Be Governed as Persistent Digital Actors, Advises Info-Tech Research Group

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As the use of AI agents rises, organizations face a widening gap between adoption and governance. New insights from Info-Tech Research Group indicate that governing agentic AI is fundamentally different from previous governance models. Agents can autonomously access systems, trigger workflows, and make decisions faster than the organization can detect, leading to growing security, compliance, and reputational risks. The firm’s blueprint, Govern Enterprise AI Agents While Preserving Innovation, provides a structured approach to managing agent identity, access, autonomy limits, and ongoing oversight without slowing the innovation that agentic AI is meant to deliver.

ARLINGTON, Va., Aug. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — AI agents are emerging as a distinct class of digital actor, operating autonomously across enterprise systems with a speed and access that outpace traditional oversight. New research from Info-Tech Research Group, Govern Enterprise AI Agents While Preserving Innovation, examines why conventional approval-based governance cannot keep pace with agentic AI and emphasizes that agents lack conscience and cannot be morally incentivized. The firm presents a step-by-step framework to help organizations limit agents’ autonomy and access while preserving space for innovation.

“AI agents cannot be governed like traditional IT assets or earlier AI models because they do more than generate outputs; they act across systems,” says Altaz Valani, principal advisory director at Info-Tech Research Group. “Many people will have multiple agents working for them, but AI agents cannot be governed the way we govern humans because they move quicker and lack emotions, conscience, and consequences.”

Info-Tech’s research outlines a practical governance model, starting with visibility into which agents exist, who owns them, what they can access, and their level of autonomy. The model helps organizations classify agents by risk, monitor behavior while they operate, and define when to intervene before a risk becomes an incident.

Key Challenges Organizations Face in Governing Enterprise AI Agents

The firm’s blueprint identifies several governance gaps that arise as organizations adopt agentic AI, including:

Shadow AI: Agents created outside sanctioned tools exist without IT’s knowledge.Capability mismatch: Agent autonomy and access lack matching validation and monitoring.Runtime drift: Agents quietly expand scope through tool, prompt, and permission changes.Unmanaged access: Permissions and service accounts overextend what agents can do.Ambiguous ownership: No clearly defined responsibility and accountability when agents cause harm.

Info-Tech’s Three-Phase Approach to Governing Enterprise AI Agents

To close the governance gap, the firm’s Govern Enterprise AI Agents While Preserving Innovation blueprint recommends a phased approach and outlines the following priorities for CIOs, CISOs, and AI governance leaders:

Phase 1: Establish Agentic AI Governance Authority and Guardrails. Governance leaders formalize the agentic AI mandate, confirm decision rights, and align on a small set of enforceable principles, guardrails, and decision rights.

Phase 2: Define the Agentic AI Governance Model. Governance and technical teams map the agent lifecycle, find agents wherever they are created, classify them by risk, and define runtime monitoring expectations and clear intervention actions based on the risk tier.

Phase 3: Operationalize Oversight and Accountability. Business owners, technical owners, AI governance, and enterprise risk leaders agree on a clear accountability model, define metrics, establish executive reporting through a dashboard view, and execute a phased rollout plan.

The Govern Enterprise AI Agents While Preserving Innovation blueprint includes case studies, practical tools, and templates, including an Agentic AI Governance Playbook, Agentic AI Governance Charter Example, State-of-AI-Agents Executive Dashboard, and Agentic AI Governance Glossary.

By applying this framework, organizations can move from a one-time approval method to ongoing governance that manages risk as agents operate, enables safe experimentation, and gives leaders a clear view of exposure as AI use expands across the organization.

For exclusive and timely commentary from Info-Tech’s experts, including Altaz Valani, and access to the complete Govern Enterprise AI Agents While Preserving Innovation blueprint, please contact pr@infotech.com.

About Info-Tech Research Group

Info-Tech Research Group is the “get things done” partner for over 30,000 IT, HR, and marketing leaders worldwide. The fastest growing research and advisory firm, Info-Tech enables leaders to make well-informed decisions and transform their organizations through AI, strategic foresight, step-by-step methodologies, practical tools, industry-leading advisory, and training programs. For nearly 30 years, tens of thousands of private and public organizations have trusted Info-Tech to lead their most important initiatives through periods of change and deliver outcomes that truly matter.

To learn more about Info-Tech’s HR research and advisory services, visit McLean & Company, and for data-driven software buying insights and vendor evaluations, visit the firm’s SoftwareReviews platform.

Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software, and hundreds of industry analysts through the firm’s Media Insiders program. To gain access, contact pr@infotech.com.

For information about Info-Tech Research Group or to access the latest research, visit infotech.com and connect via LinkedIn and X.

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Five ways K-12 leaders can strengthen teacher recognition beyond appreciation weeks, according to new University of Phoenix white paper

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Author Dr. Contessa T. Walker-Jackson distinguishes professional recognition from general appreciation and offers practical approaches for school leaders seeking to support teacher morale and engagement

PHOENIX, Aug. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — University of Phoenix College of Doctoral Studies has published a new white paper, “Beyond Appreciation Weeks: Building Teacher Recognition Into the Everyday Work of K–12 Leadership,” by Contessa Walker-Jackson, Ed.D., alumni fellow with the University’s Center for Educational and Instructional Technology Research (CEITR). In the paper, Walker-Jackson examines how K–12 school leaders can move beyond episodic teacher-appreciation activities by making substantive teacher recognition part of everyday leadership practice.

Walker-Jackson distinguishes between appreciation — general expressions of gratitude directed toward teachers as a group — and recognition, which acknowledges a specific professional contribution by an individual teacher. The paper argues that both have a place in school culture, but that recognition is most meaningful when it is specific, consistent and connected to teachers’ actual work.

“Teacher appreciation plays an important role in school culture, but recognition highlights the specific work that a teacher has accomplished,” said Walker-Jackson. “A principal who notices well is a gem to the school. A principal who departs without incorporating a system of recognition into the school’s operations creates a potential failure within the institution, as the elements that contributed to teachers feeling acknowledged and valued will leave with them.”

Why is teacher recognition different from teacher appreciation?

Walker-Jackson argues that appreciation activities such as staff celebrations, thank-you notes and appreciation weeks can help schools express collective gratitude and create opportunities for connection. However, the paper distinguishes those activities from substantive recognition, which is tied to something a leader has directly observed a teacher accomplish.

Drawing on established motivation theory, recent research on teacher engagement and narrative interviews with current and former teachers, the paper suggests that recognition becomes more meaningful when it reinforces professional competence, belonging and contribution rather than functioning primarily as a scheduled or generic gesture.

The distinction is particularly important for school leaders, Walker-Jackson writes, because recognition practices that depend primarily on the preferences of an individual principal may disappear when leadership changes. Building recognition into school routines and expectations can make the practice more consistent over time.

What did teachers say makes recognition meaningful?

For the paper, Walker-Jackson conducted semi-structured narrative interviews with 10 current and former teachers at a faith-based private school in the southeastern United States. The analysis identified six themes:

Consistency matters. Teachers described recognition as less meaningful when it was unpredictable or dependent on the preferences of an individual leader.Culture shapes recognition. Participants emphasized that recognition should reflect the values and norms of the school community, with some preferring private or quieter acknowledgment.Leadership plays a central role. Teachers reported that the presence and quality of recognition could change significantly with a change in principal.Specific recognition can affect morale. Participants described small, targeted gestures as meaningful when they acknowledged something the teacher had actually done.Tangible recognition can have lasting value. Some participants valued recognition that created a visible or enduring acknowledgment of their contribution.Structure supports continuity. Teachers with experience across different settings described recognition as more reliable when supported by established practices rather than individual goodwill.

Across the interviews, Walker-Jackson found that teachers tended to describe recognition as meaningful when it was specific and tied to a real professional contribution, while generic, inconsistent or leader-dependent recognition was more likely to be viewed as insufficient.

How can K–12 leaders make teacher recognition part of everyday practice?

The white paper identifies five practices school and district leaders can consider:

Replace generic praise with named-action feedback. Give teachers timely feedback that identifies a specific instructional action or professional contribution and its observed effect.Use post-observation conversations as recognition opportunities. Treat the conversation following a classroom observation as an opportunity to acknowledge professional strengths, not solely as an evaluation or compliance step.Protect planning time as a form of recognition. Recognize the importance of teachers’ professional preparation by protecting planning periods from unnecessary disruption when possible.Build recognition practices that survive leadership changes. Establish consistent expectations, review cycles and leadership responsibilities so recognition does not depend entirely on one principal’s personal habits.Train principals in specific recognition. Treat effective recognition as a leadership skill that can be developed through coaching and incorporated into leadership expectations.

Together, the recommendations position recognition not as a once-a-year event, but as a leadership discipline that can be practiced, reinforced and evaluated as part of everyday school operations.

The paper notes important limitations to the findings. The narrative interviews involved 10 current and former teachers from one faith-based private school in the southeastern United States, and Walker-Jackson recommends further research in public schools, additional geographic regions and other educational settings. As the five recommended leadership practices have not yet been tested together as a single intervention, the paper presents them as evidence-informed leadership practices for further consideration and study.

About the author

Dr. Walker-Jackson is an Alumni Fellow with the University of Phoenix Center for Educational and Instructional Technology Research (CEITR) and founding president of the University of Phoenix Alabama Alumni Chapter. An educator, educational consultant, and K-12 school founder with more than two decades in education, she advises schools, districts, and homeschool programs on curriculum design, differentiated instruction, and teacher development. She is a National Certified Trainer in Differentiated Instruction, holds teaching certification in Alabama and Arizona, and founded Teacher’s PETS Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization serving underserved students since 2007. Walker-Jackson earned her Doctorate in Educational Leadership with a concentration in Curriculum and Instruction from University of Phoenix, and a bachelor’s in elementary education from Oakwood University. She can be reached through her LinkedIn profile.

The full white paper is available on the University of Phoenix Research Hub or as a direct link here.

About University of Phoenix
University of Phoenix is Built for Real Life. 50 Years Strong. The University innovates to help working adults enhance their careers and develop skills in a rapidly changing world through flexible online learning, relevant courses, academic AI pillars, and skills-mapped curriculum for associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs. Active students and alumni have access to Career Services for Life® resources including career guidance and tools. For more information, visit phoenix.edu.

About the College of Doctoral Studies
University of Phoenix’s College of Doctoral Studies focuses on today’s challenging business and organizational needs, from addressing critical social issues to developing solutions to accelerate community building and industry growth. The College’s research program is built around the Scholar, Practitioner, Leader Model which puts students in the center of the Doctoral Education Ecosystem® with experts, resources and tools to help prepare them to be a leader in their organization, industry and community. Through this program, students and researchers work with organizations to conduct research that can be applied in the workplace in real time.

MEDIA CONTACT: Sharla Hooper
University of Phoenix
sharla.hooper@phoenix.edu 

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iScreen Introduces Interactive Digital Pet Experience for iPhone Customization

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New experience brings an original digital companion, customizable widgets, and stickers to personalized iPhone Home Screens

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — iScreen, a mobile customization app for iOS and Android, today introduced a new interactive digital pet experience featuring customizable widgets and stickers, giving users new ways to personalize their iPhone Home Screens with interactive characters and expressive visual elements.

Viral Animal Characters Inspire Digital Creativity

The launch comes amid growing interest in viral animal characters and internet-native personalities across social media, including Jimothy, whose playful image and fan-created content have recently attracted widespread attention online. The trend reflects a broader movement toward memes, fan art, and character-driven digital self-expression.

Drawing on its experience collaborating with well-known IPs and character brands in China, iScreen has developed mobile customization experiences that bring recognizable characters, cultural themes, and interactive features into everyday personalization. The company continues to explore new ways to combine character design, visual aesthetics, and interactive experiences, while developing original digital companions such as Nimori.

Nimori: An Original Digital Companion

Nimori is an original digital companion created by iScreen to bring the playful energy of internet culture into everyday mobile experiences. Designed as more than a static visual element, Nimori gives users an interactive character they can incorporate into their personalized digital experience.

The update introduces an interactive digital pet for the iPhone Home Screen, making everyday screens more dynamic and expressive. Alongside the digital pet experience, users can access:

Themed widgets to create personalized layoutsInteractive stickers to combine with wallpapers and visual contentCustomizable Home Screen elements for a cohesive aesthetic experience

Connecting Internet Culture with Digital Self-Expression

“Internet culture is becoming an increasingly important source of inspiration for digital self-expression,” said the iScreen creative team. “With this new experience, we wanted to bring that playful energy into an original and interactive experience that users can enjoy directly on their screens.”

With the new update, iScreen continues to evolve its mobile customization ecosystem toward more interactive and expressive experiences, exploring new ways to connect internet culture, digital characters and personalized mobile experiences.

About iScreen

iScreen  is a mobile customization app providing widgets, wallpapers, and themed layouts for iOS and Android devices. Ranking among the top home screen customization platforms worldwide, iScreen has over 100 million users and has been featured by Apple Editorial in 128 countries for five consecutive days. With interactive and decorative options, it enables users to personalize both home screens and lock screens for a more immersive experience.

 

Official Website:iScreen – Phone Style, iScreen it!

iOS Download:‎‎iScreen – Widgets & Wallpaper App – App Store ‎

Android Download: iScreen Google Play

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Noah Holdings Limited Announces Changes to the Board and Board Committees

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SINGAPORE, Aug. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Noah Holdings Limited (the “Company” or “Noah”) (NYSE: NOAH and HKEX: 6686), a leading and pioneer wealth management service provider offering comprehensive one-stop advisory services on global investment and asset allocation primarily for global Chinese high-net-worth investors, today announced changes to its board of directors (the “Board”) and the composition of its Board committees.

Noah has appointed Ms. Tianjing Zhang as an independent director (a non-executive director for purposes of the Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the “Hong Kong Listing Rules”), effective August 29, 2026. Ms. Cynthia Jinhong Meng will retire as an independent director upon the expiration of the independent director agreement entered into between her and the Company at the end of August 28, 2026, after three years of service. Ms. Meng’s departure did not result from any disagreement with the Company and the Board expresses its sincere gratitude for her invaluable contribution during her tenure.

Mr. David Zhang has served as our independent director since June 2024 under applicable U.S. regulations, and, for purposes of the Hong Kong Listing Rules, a non-executive director. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee conducted a comprehensive assessment of the independence of Mr. David Zhang under Rule 3.13 of the Hong Kong Listing Rules, including the circumstances contemplated under Rules 3.13(3) and 3.13(7). In particular, they considered, among other matters, that the two-year cooling-off period contemplated under Rule 3.13(3) had expired before Mr. Zhang provided his confirmation of independence and that more than two and a half years had elapsed since he retired from Kirkland & Ellis in January 2024. They also considered that Mr. Zhang has not held any executive or management position within the Company or its subsidiaries and that his involvement has been limited to Board-level and Audit Committee oversight. After considering all relevant facts and circumstances and Mr. Zhang’s confirmation of independence, the Board and the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee are satisfied that he is independent for purposes of Rule 3.13 of the Hong Kong Listing Rules and he has been re-designated as an independent Director under the Hong Kong Listing Rules, with effect from August 29, 2026. The Board is confident that Mr. Zhang’s expertise in cross-border securities offerings, U.S. and Hong Kong capital markets and dual-listed company governance will strengthen the Board’s independent oversight and committee functions.

In connection with Ms. Meng’s retirement and the appointment and/or re-designation described above, the Board has resolved to change the composition of its committees with effect from August 29, 2026. The Audit Committee shall comprise Ms. Xiangrong Li as Chairperson, Mr. David Zhang and Ms. Tianjing Zhang as members. The Compensation Committee shall comprise Ms. May Yihong Wu as Chairperson, Mr. Boquan He and Ms. Xiangrong Li as members. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee shall comprise Ms. Jingbo Wang as Chairperson, Ms. May Yihong Wu and Mr. David Zhang as members.

Ms. Tianjing Zhang has nearly two decades of experience in cross-border disputes, regulatory investigations, crisis management, compliance and international legal risk management. She has served as head of international business of HOZU Capital since May 2025, where she focuses on assessing and underwriting international arbitration and litigation matters and makes investment recommendations. From January 2012 to April 2025, Ms. Zhang practiced at Kirkland & Ellis International LLP and served as managing partner and chief representative of its Shanghai office before her resignation. During her tenure, she led the firm’s China cross-border dispute resolution and government, regulatory and investigations practice, representing global clients in complex multi-jurisdictional litigation and government-led and internal investigations. Before joining Kirkland & Ellis International LLP, she practiced at Holland & Knight LLP in San Francisco from April 2008 to December 2011, and appeared before U.S. federal and state courts.

Ms. Zhang holds a Juris Doctor degree from The University of Texas School of Law, a Master of Arts degree in political science (international relations) from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Laws degree in international law from China Foreign Affairs University. She is admitted to practice law in the State of California, U.S. Ms. Zhang was named “Leading Lawyer of the Year” at The Legal 500 China Awards 2023 and has also been recognized by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific, Chambers and Partners and Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific.

Ms. Jingbo Wang, co-founder and chairwoman of Noah, commented, “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Ms. Meng for her contributions to Noah where her dedication and guidance was instrumental in strengthening our governance framework. I wish her all the best in her future endeavors. I’d also like to extend a warm welcome to Ms. Tianjing Zhang where I am confident her extensive legal and regulatory experience will prove invaluable in shaping our future strategic direction. I am also pleased that Mr. David Zhang has been re-designated as an independent director under the Hong Kong Listing Rules, reflecting the Board’s confidence in his independence and expertise. These changes strengthen the Board’s legal, regulatory, capital markets and corporate governance expertise, broaden its diversity of perspectives and reinforce our commitment to the highest standards of corporate governance.”

ABOUT NOAH HOLDINGS LIMITED

Noah Holdings Limited (NYSE: NOAH and HKEX: 6686) is a leading and pioneer wealth management service provider offering comprehensive one-stop advisory services on global investment and asset allocation primarily for global Chinese high-net-worth investors. Noah’s American depositary shares, or ADSs, are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “NOAH,” and its shares are listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the stock code “6686.” One ADS represents five ordinary shares, par value $0.00005 per share. 

In the first half of 2026, Noah distributed RMB40.4 billion (US$6.0 billion) of investment products. Through Gopher Asset Management and Olive Asset Management, Noah had assets under management of RMB140.9 billion (US$20.8 billion) as of June 30, 2026.

Founded in 2005, the firm pioneered a business model combining wealth management and asset management and has continued to build its international platform over the years. As of June 30, 2026, Noah had 469,987 registered clients. The Company reports its operations under six business segments — Mainland China public securities (Noah Upright), Mainland China asset management (Gopher Asset Management), Mainland China insurance (Glory), International wealth management (ARK Wealth Management), International asset management (Olive Asset Management), and International insurance and comprehensive services (Glory Family Heritage) — plus headquarters. As of June 30, 2026, Noah had established branches and service capabilities across mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, and key U.S. markets, including New York, Los Angeles, and Silicon Valley, reflecting its international operating footprint. 

For more information, please visit Noah’s investor relations website at ir.noahgroup.com.

SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “confident” and similar statements. Noah may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual report to shareholders, in announcements, circulars or other publications made on the website of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the “Hong Kong Stock Exchange”), in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Noah’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. These statements include, but are not limited to, estimates regarding the sufficiency of Noah’s cash and cash equivalents and liquidity risk. A number of factors could cause Noah’s actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: its goals and strategies; its future business development, financial condition and results of operations; the expected growth of the wealth management and asset management market in China and internationally; its expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of the products it distributes; investment risks associated with investment products distributed to Noah’s investors, including the risk of default by counterparties or loss of value due to market or business conditions or misconduct by counterparties; its expectations regarding keeping and strengthening its relationships with key clients; relevant government policies and regulations relating to its industries; its ability to attract and retain qualified employees; its ability to stay abreast of market trends and technological advances; its plans to invest in research and development to enhance its product choices and service offerings; competition in its industries in China and internationally; general economic and business conditions in China; and its ability to effectively protect its intellectual property rights and not to infringe on the intellectual property rights of others. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Noah’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and Noah does not undertake any obligation to update any such information, including forward-looking statements, as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under the applicable law.

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