The OpenID Foundation’s specifications are no longer just gaining momentum—they are shaping the backbone of real-world digital ecosystems. Foundational standards like OpenID Connect and FAPI continue to scale globally, while Shared Signals, OpenID for Verifiable Credentials, and related work are moving from early adoption into demonstrable interoperability and production deployments. Alongside this progress, the Foundation’s Working Groups and Community Groups reflect a community responding to increasingly complex, cross-sector identity realities - from the standards required to enable a future facilitated by AI agents to those that will underpin our digital estates after death.

What is sustaining this pace of innovation as implementations mature? How are standards bodies coordinating more tightly as interoperability becomes non-negotiable? How are AI-driven agents, automation, and the growing urgency of post-quantum readiness influencing specifications and deployment strategies? What role are governments now playing—not just as accelerators, but as implementers and regulators? And what new risks and responsibilities are emerging as identity systems become critical infrastructure?

OpenID Foundation Board members will share their perspectives on how OIDF is navigating this transition and what it all means for implementers planning for 2026 and the years ahead.