It is not the technology that is under pressure, but its integration into everyday business operations. Budgets are tightening, regulation is taking hold, and boards are demanding robust results rather than more roadmaps. The era of non-committal pilot projects is ending.
Summary # The NZZ article examines how tech giants like Meta, OpenAI, and Nvidia are now pouring billions into AI agents after already spending massive amounts on large language models. Meta acquired Moltbook (a “social network for AI bots”) and spent $2 billion on Manus. OpenAI acquired Openclaw for its autonomous AI agents. Critics see this as a “flight forward,” with companies investing even more money to solve the problem of poor returns on their LLM investments.
2026 will be the year when the wheat is separated from the chaff in AI: it’s not the better model that makes the difference, but the ability to deliver impact under real-world conditions. What decision-makers need to know and do now so that AI evolves from experiment to true partner.
