TORONTO, ON, Oct. 1, 2026 -- Technology strategist, Microsoft 365 and AI advisor, and author Eric Riz today announced the release of his new book, Digital Debt, now available on digital platforms.

The book examines a growing enterprise challenge: organizations are moving quickly to adopt AI while the information beneath it remains fragmented, duplicated, inconsistent, poorly governed, and spread across multiple systems.

Riz argues that AI does not solve those problems. It exposes and amplifies them.

“AI is only as effective as the information foundation it is built on,” said Riz. “If employees are working from five versions of the same document, inconsistent data, disconnected repositories, or outdated content, AI inherits that confusion. The goal has to be trusted, governed, single-source content that people and AI can rely on. If you have sent an email with an attachment, this is a book for you!” 

In Digital Debt, Riz explores how years of disconnected technology decisions have created environments where organizations struggle to determine which information is authoritative, current, secure, or even necessary.

The book positions single-source content as a critical part of AI readiness. Rather than allowing information to proliferate across email, file shares, SharePoint sites, Teams, personal drives, legacy systems, and third-party platforms, organizations need a deliberate information architecture that establishes trusted sources, ownership, governance, permissions, lifecycle management, and accountability.

The premise is straightforward: before an organization can successfully deploy Copilot, generative AI, agents, or other intelligent systems, it must first improve the quality and structure of the information those systems are expected to use.

Digital Debt examines how organizations can reduce duplication, consolidate authoritative content, improve Microsoft 365 governance, strengthen security and compliance, modernize outdated processes, and create an operating model that allows both employees and AI to work from reliable information.

The book also challenges the idea that AI readiness is primarily a technology deployment exercise. Riz argues that it is ultimately an information-management and governance discipline involving business leaders, IT, security, compliance, data owners, and employees.

Organizations that address those fundamentals can use AI to accelerate productivity, decision-making, automation, and innovation. Those that do not risk accelerating the very complexity they are trying to eliminate.

Product Details

• Title: Digital Debt 

• Author: Eric Riz 

• Release Date: October 1, 2026 

• Formats: Kindle, Kobo and Paperback 

• Available: Amazon 

• Website: www.ericriz.com 

• Contact: [email protected] 

About the Author

Eric Riz is a technology strategist, entrepreneur, author, and Microsoft 365 and AI advisor with more than 25 years of experience helping organizations modernize technology, govern information, strengthen security, and prepare for AI.

A six-time Microsoft MVP, Riz advises organizations on Microsoft 365, Copilot, information governance, cybersecurity, and enterprise AI readiness. He is the founder and CEO of eMark Consulting Ltd., VERIFIED AI and a frequent industry speaker on AI, digital transformation, and the future of work.

Through Digital Debt, Riz makes the case that the organizations best positioned to benefit from AI will be those that first create a trusted, governed, and reliable information foundation.

Website: www.ericriz.com

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Eric Riz / Digital Debt