Beyond the Model: Where Enterprise AI Value Is Moving

Taylor Black returns for a mid-2026 scorecard on the predictions he and Laszlo Mucsi made in their first conversation. They examine the shift from model breakthroughs to agentic systems that perform real work: coding tools finding product-market fit, autonomous software, small teams with outsized leverage, and the application layers where enterprise value is accumulating. Enterprise AI is moving beyond the contest to build the most capable model. The advantage now lies in the systems around it: the workflows, data, evaluations, deployment infrastructure, and human judgment that turn model capability into business outcomes. Agents can execute, but they do not carry trust, liability, or responsibility; AI-native operators must redesign the work rather than simply automate the old process. The central business question is no longer who has access to the best model, but who can turn model capability into proprietary workflows, faster execution, and measurable operating leverage. Connect with us: Website:⁠⁠ https://thedatastorytellers.com/⁠⁠ LinkedIn:⁠⁠   / the-data-storytellers⁠⁠   Apple Podcast:⁠⁠ https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast... Spotify:⁠⁠ https://open.spotify.com/show/2N0vZtH... YouTube:⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz9e... Chapters: 00:00: Introduction and revisiting the 2025 AI predictions 01:39: Taylor’s work at Microsoft, the Vatican, and stepping away to reflect 04:48: Recapping part one and setting up the 2026 AI prediction scorecard 07:32: Has AI started delivering real economic value? 11:18: AI coding, developer productivity, and the rise of “dark factories” 14:24: The one-person billion-dollar company and the limits of AI employees 19:30: Why AI’s value is shifting from models to applications and workflows 24:11: Is the AI bubble disappearing, or just changing shape? 29:52: AI, employment growth, data centers, and US reindustrialization 33:23: Open-source models and the changing enterprise AI landscape 34:19: The Vatican, the Catholic Church, and the moral questions around AI 40:33: Pope Leo’s perspective on AI, power, relationships, and human flourishing 46:10: How do we measure human flourishing, and when should kids use AI?