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Why 2026 Is the Year Companies Stop Buying AI Tools — and Start Building an AI Workforce

For decades, the promise of the digital age was simple: more data. Organizations armed employees with dashboards, RSS feeds, and an endless stream of reports. When generative AI arrived four years ago, companies rushed to bolt copilots and chatbots onto existing workflows, hoping that sprinkling AI features across the enterprise would unlock productivity. As 2026 begins, a different reality is coming into focus. In a recent EY survey, only 20% of CEOs said AI meaningfully exceeded their expectations last year. Confidence in AI’s ability to reduce headcount has also collapsed—just 24% of CEOs believed it would drive workforce reductions in…

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Yee-Wah Chow

Jan 30, 2026

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Why 2026 Is the Year Companies Stop Buying AI Tools — and Start Building an AI Workforce
General Business

Why 2026 Is the Year Companies Stop Buying AI Tools — and Start Building an AI Workforce

For decades, the promise of the digital age was simple: more data. Organizations armed employees with dashboards, RSS feeds, and an endless stream of reports. When generative AI arrived four years ago, companies rushed to bolt copilots and chatbots onto existing workflows, hoping that sprinkling AI features across the enterprise would unlock productivity. As 2026 begins, a different reality is coming into focus. In a recent EY survey, only 20% of CEOs said AI meaningfully exceeded their expectations last year. Confidence in AI’s ability to reduce headcount has also collapsed—just 24% of CEOs believed it would drive workforce reductions in…

Yee-Wah Chow • Jan 30, 2026
Beyond the Chatbot: Why Your Company Needs an AI Workforce, Not Just Another App
General Business

Beyond the Chatbot: Why Your Company Needs an AI Workforce, Not Just Another App

  In the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence, too many conversations remain stuck on the same tired examples: chatbots that plan trips, suggest recipes, or answer ad‑hoc questions. For Rami Ghandour, CEO of Industry Intelligence Inc., this is a failure of imagination. We are moving past the era of the “savant in your pocket” — an app you occasionally consult for answers. The future of business intelligence isn’t about better search results or slicker chat experiences. It’s about building a dedicated AI Workforce. From AI “User” to AI “Teammate” The idea of an AI Workforce was born from a…

Yee-Wah Chow • Dec 11, 2025
The Price of Nostalgia: Why Spice Brands are Returning to Tin Despite a 50% Tariff Spike
Packaging & Containers

The Price of Nostalgia: Why Spice Brands are Returning to Tin Despite a 50% Tariff Spike

In the world of CPG, trends usually follow the path of least resistance—and lowest cost. But every so often, a consumer shift is strong enough to force brands to swim upstream. We are seeing a fascinating “clash of currents” in the packaging world right now involving Old Bay, Eat Happy Kitchen, and the global metal market. Return of the “Clank” Recent headlines confirm a distinct pivot toward heritage and tactility. Old Bay seasoning recently announced a move from plastic back to its original tin material. The goal? To revive the “classic feeling” and user experience that defined the brand for…

Elyse Blye • Dec 9, 2025
Nature Meets Necessity: Bio-based Breakthroughs in Hygiene
Hygiene & Tissue Products

Nature Meets Necessity: Bio-based Breakthroughs in Hygiene

As the world grapples with the realities of plastic pollution, companies across industries are looking for ways to reduce their contributions to the plastic crisis — and the hygiene industry is no exception. From diapers to wipes, feminine-care products to adult incontinence, the hygiene industry is adopting bio-based materials and advancing fossil-free innovations to meet consumers’ sustainability expectations, comply with government regulations and stay competitive, all while new technologies make it possible to balance product performance with eco-friendliness. Diapers Every minute, more than 300,000 disposable diapers around the world are incinerated, sent to landfills or pollute the environment, according to…

Rachel Carter • Oct 1, 2025
The Bakery Aisle’s Great Rethink
Packaged Foods

The Bakery Aisle’s Great Rethink

MAHA, Sustainability, Consumer Taste Shifts…and the Race to Reinvent The clock just started. Three powerful forces are converging on the bakery aisle faster than most portfolios can pivot: government mandates, the GLP-1 prescription wave, and a consumer reset toward clean labels and "mindful indulgence". If you aren’t rethinking your portfolio now, you may already be behind. The Mandate Crunch: Policy Changes that Hit the P&L What’s changing—and when Synthetic food dye phase‑out by end of 2026: Implementing White House’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda, FDA and HHS announced on April 26 a plan to phase out petroleum‑based food dyes,…

Yee-Wah Chow • Sep 11, 2025
Navigating the Headwinds: What's Building (or Not) in the US Construction Industry? 
Building Products & Construction Materials

Navigating the Headwinds: What's Building (or Not) in the US Construction Industry? 

Why Are Builders Losing Confidence? Start with the Numbers.  Ever wonder what keeps homebuilders up at night? Hint: it’s more than just late-night coffee. The U.S. construction sector—especially homebuilding—is steering through a storm of economic crosscurrents. To gauge the mood on the ground, we turn to a key barometer: the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI).  In July 2025, the HMI clocked in at just 33. That’s a slight uptick from June, but still well below the neutral benchmark of 50—firmly in pessimistic territory. Translation? A majority of builders see the current market as poor or worsening. And this isn’t…

Randy Robinson • Aug 6, 2025
Reshoring Revolution: How Companies Adapt Supply Chains to Tariffs, Legislation and Market Forces
General Business

Reshoring Revolution: How Companies Adapt Supply Chains to Tariffs, Legislation and Market Forces

  This turbulent year has brought sweeping changes, challenges and incentives for companies worldwide—especially when it comes to tariffs. Following “Liberation Day” on April 2, when President Donald Trump imposed a 10% tariff on nearly all foreign imports, businesses scrambled to re-evaluate their supply chains in light of higher costs and fluctuating rates. Strategies include diversifying manufacturing locations and sourcing of raw materials, even reshoring certain operations away from China. At their peak, US duties on Chinese goods surged to 145%. Though those tariffs have since eased to 30%, multinationals are continuing to look at their options and make plans…

Yee-Wah Chow • Jul 16, 2025
Extended Producer Responsibility: Navigating the Shifting Sands of Packaging Laws
Packaging & Containers

Extended Producer Responsibility: Navigating the Shifting Sands of Packaging Laws

The packaging industry is undergoing a major shift as sustainability and waste reduction move to center stage. At the heart of this transformation is the growing emphasis on producer responsibility. With rising environmental concerns, consumer expectations and public policies are converging to reshape how companies design packaging and manage end-of-life disposal. For industry executives, staying ahead means having a clear understanding of shifting consumer values, evolving government mandates, and increasingly complex compliance landscapes. What is Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)? Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is an environmental policy approach that holds companies accountable for the entire lifecycle of the products they…

Yee-Wah Chow • Jun 24, 2025
Pulp & Paper Industry's Carbon Revolution: Innovations and Legislative Trends in Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS)
Paper, Pulp & Cellulose

Pulp & Paper Industry's Carbon Revolution: Innovations and Legislative Trends in Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS)

Heavy industry is turning to Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) not only to meet steep carbon reduction targets, but also to find ways to turn captured carbon into raw material — and new revenue. Carbon Capture vs. Carbon Removal Carbon capture focuses on preventing CO2 emissions from entering the atmosphere by capturing them at the source — like at power plants and manufacturing facilities — while carbon dioxide removal, or CDR, aims to remove CO2 that is already in the atmosphere. “The State of Carbon Dioxide Removal” report, co-led by University of Oxford researchers, found that governments must expand…

Rachel Carter • Jun 4, 2025

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