EP 69: 2026 TACo Predictions Follow Up

In 2025, Anish Raul and Ajinkya “Jinx” Joglekar made a series of predictions about where AI, marketing, and technology would be heading in 2026. Now, they are checking the receipts.

In EP69 of The Art of Commerce, Anish and Jinx revisit those predictions to see what actually happened. They discuss the rise of AI agents, why companies are still struggling to redesign teams and workflows around new technology, whether AI innovation is beginning to plateau, and why businesses are asking harder questions about ROI. They also explore AI-generated advertising, wearable AI, privacy concerns, and the continuing challenge of measuring the real impact of creative work.

This episode covers:• Why AI agents are starting to break down organizational silos• Why simply adding AI tools is not enough if teams and workflows are still built around old systems• What the steam engine can teach us about redesigning organizations around new technology• Why some areas of AI are becoming more incremental while AI video continues to make bigger leaps• Why token costs are pushing companies to think more seriously about AI ROI• How AI is becoming part of mainstream advertising and video production• Why human taste still matters in avoiding “AI slop”• The opportunities and privacy concerns around AI wearables and smart hardware• Why marketers still struggle to measure the true impact of creative• Why creator advertising could continue to grow• How Gen Z could benefit from entering the workforce as an AI-native generation

The central lesson is simple: AI adoption is no longer just about having access to better tools. The bigger challenge is redesigning teams, workflows, creative processes, and business decisions around what the technology can actually do.

Connect with the hosts:

Anish Raul: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anishraul

Ajinkya “Jinx” Joglekar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajinkyaj/