AI Pragmatism
2026 is a make-or-break year for AI | Paid subscriber edition | #263
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AI Pragmatism
The last months of 2025 were marked by analysts warning of a potential AI bubble. Some said that if the AI bubble burst, the global economy, especially the American one, could collapse too.
Earlier, there was also an MIT report that stated that, despite massive enterprise investment in generative AI, 95% of organizations were getting zero return, fostering a wave of uncertainty.
In 2026, AI companies will need to prove that AI is not a sophisticated marketing gimmick and that it can meaningfully support people and society.
They are therefore expected to show their AI products can be sustainably profitable, deliver tangible benefits to corporate users, and help people become reliably more productive. All without causing harm to people, being openly negligent about safety, or systemically infringing on laws.
The year has barely started, and we are already observing an interesting manifestation of AI pragmatism: