As enterprise AI matures, data and context emerge as new competitive edge
Enterprise AI is entering a new phase where competitive advantage depends less on foundation models and more on the ability to connect data and business knowledge through an enterprise context layer. As organizations scale AI initiatives, intelligent agents are emerging as the new interface between information and action.
Many organizations had written off big data after years of unmet expectations, but generative AI is finally unlocking the value that massive datasets promised all along. The challenge now is not recognizing the importance of enterprise data, but overcoming the complexity of connecting and operationalizing it for AI-driven applications, according to Bob O’Donnell (pictured, right), founder and chief analyst of TECHnalysis Research LLC.
“It makes so much sense because people have recognized, to make AI productive and effective in their organization, they obviously have to tap into their own data,” O’Donnell said. “That sounds great in theory, but it turns out the nuts and bolts of actually doing that are pretty darn hard.”
O’Donnell and Sanjeev Mohan (left), founder and owner of SanjMo, spoke with theCUBE’s Dave Vellante at Snowflake Summit 2026, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed how generative AI is finally delivering on the long-promised value of big data and why the enterprise context layer is emerging as the foundation for the next generation of AI agents. (* Disclosure below.)
