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Michael Fauscette
CEO & Chief Analyst at Arion Research LLC
Remote, United States
Michael is an experienced high-tech leader, board member, software industry analyst, podcast host and consultant. He is a thought leader and published author on emerging trends in business software, Agentic AI, CRM and customer experience strategies and technology, automation, AI and generative AI, and building a digital first enterprise. As a senior market researcher and leader Michael has deep experience in business software market research, starting new tech businesses and go-to-market models in large and small software companies.
Currently Michael is the Founder, CEO and Chief Analyst at Arion Research, a global cloud advisory firm; and an advisor to G2, Board Chairman at LocatorX, board member and fractional chief strategy officer at Spotlogic. He Co-Hosts the show In the Hot Seat on PPN and hosts the Disambiguation Podcast. Formerly the chief research officer at G2, he was responsible for helping software and services buyers use the crowdsourced insights, data, and community in the G2 marketplace. Prior to joining G2, Mr. Fauscette led IDC’s worldwide enterprise software application research group for almost ten years. He also held executive roles with seven software vendors including Autodesk, Inc. and PeopleSoft, Inc. and five VC-backed technology startups.
Michael works with technology vendors and brands providing thought leadership content development, AI strategy custom research, keynotes, podcasting and consulting. He often works with technology startups and enterprise vendors on business strategy, go to market strategies, customer advocacy strategies, product led growth, subscription business models and operations, product market positioning, competitive intelligence, leadership development, and product roadmaps.
Available For: Advising, Authoring, Consulting, Influencing, Speaking Travels From: Philadelphia
Speaking Topics: AI / Agentic AI strategies, customer experience strategies, digital first strategy, technology trends
Modernizing Your Sales Tech Stack
Arion Research LLC
November 25, 2025
This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the modern sales technology land-scape through a framework better suited to the AI era. Rather than evaluating solutions based solely on their stated category, we examine them along two critical dimensions: their focus (internal process optimization versus external customer engagement) and their temporal orientation (historical data analysis versus real-time guidance and action).
Our analysis encompasses ten distinct market categories, from established markets like Sales Force Automation to emerging categories like Agentic AI Sales Agents. For each, we examine not only what these solutions do today but how AI is transforming their capabilities and blurring the lines between categories. We pay particular attention to two categories that serve as central intelligence hubs for modern sales organizations: Sales Discovery and Execution platforms, and Revenue Operations and Intelligence solutions.
Customer Experience Trends for 2026
Arion Research LLC
November 04, 2025
As we approach 2026, customer experience is undergoing a transformation that will reshape how organizations engage with customers, how experiences are delivered, and how loyalty is built. The introduction of agentic AI in customer experience; autonomous systems capable of understanding emotion, predicting needs, and orchestrating seamless journeys; is a core paradigm shift from reactive service to proactive relationship management.
Tags: Agentic AI, Customer Experience, Generative AI
Agentic AI Trends 2026
Arion Research LLC
October 26, 2025
The emergence of agentic AI; autonomous systems capable of independent decision-making, adaptive learning, and collaborative problem-solving; marks a pivotal shift from AI as a tool to AI as a workforce partner. This report examines twelve critical trends across three tiers of readiness and impact. Tier 1 trends are inevitable, already gaining mainstream adoption and delivering measurable business value. Tier 2 trends are emerging but transformational, positioned for early-majority adoption in 2026-2027 with significant upside for organizations that execute well. Tier 3 trends remain on the horizon, still early or dependent on standards and infrastructure maturity, but offering glimpses of a future where AI agents operate with unprecedented autonomy and reach.
The AI Privacy Equation: Balancing Innovation with Protection in the Modern Enterprise
Arion Research LLC
September 30, 2025
Organizations worldwide are successfully solving the AI privacy challenge by treating privacy and AI as complementary capabilities rather than competing priorities. Key findings reveal that 83.7% of companies have dedicated privacy teams, 41.3% have strengthened privacy measures since implementing AI, and customer data breaches remain the top concern (40.8%). While barriers exist in technical expertise (36.6%) and implementation costs (32.3%), leading organizations are building competitive advantages through privacy-first AI strategies. The path forward requires integrated approaches combining strong privacy foundations, strategic AI implementation, and systematic workforce development.
Ethical Considerations in Agentic AI Implementation
Arion Research LLC
July 27, 2025
The delegation of decision-making authority to AI agents creates ambiguity around responsibility when those agents act independently. This challenge becomes particularly acute when agents make consequential decisions that affect individuals, organizations, or society at large.
Traditional accountability structures assume human decision-makers who can be held responsible for their choices. With agentic AI, the chain of responsibility becomes fragmented across developers, deployers, operators, and the agents themselves. This creates what researchers term the "moral crumple zone" - a space where responsibility for harmful outcomes becomes difficult to assign.
Agentic AI and Cybersecurity: Enhancing Threat Detection and Resilience with Autonomous Agents
Arion Research LLC
July 13, 2025
"Agentic AI and Cybersecurity: Enhancing Threat Detection and Resilience with Autonomous Agents" explores how intelligent, autonomous AI agents are revolutionizing cybersecurity by operating at machine speed to detect threats, respond to incidents, and adapt to new attack patterns 24/7. Unlike traditional security tools that simply flag problems, these agents can independently investigate suspicious activities, coordinate multi-system responses, and learn from each encounter, transforming cybersecurity from reactive defense to proactive threat hunting. The report examines current applications, multi-agent architectures, implementation strategies, and future trends while addressing critical concerns about agent security, explainability, and human oversight.
Data Privacy Considerations When Implementing Specialized AI Agents
Arion Research LLC
June 25, 2025
The stakes have never been higher for data privacy. As AI agents become more deeply embedded in business-critical workflows, they gain access to increasingly sensitive and regulated data. A misstep in privacy protection doesn't just risk regulatory penalties, it can undermine customer trust, compromise competitive advantages, and expose organizations to significant legal liability.
Measuring Success: KPIs for Specialized AI Agent Performance
Arion Research LLC
June 01, 2025
Artificial intelligence technology has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years. What began as experimental implementations of AI tools has evolved into sophisticated, specialized agents that now handle critical business operations across industries. These AI agents, the foundation of a digital workforce, aren't just answering simple questions anymore, they're managing complex customer interactions, analyzing vast datasets, making purchasing decisions, and even conducting sales conversations with remarkable autonomy.
This shift from experimental curiosity to operational necessity brings with it a fundamental challenge: how do we measure success when the "worker" is an AI agent rather than a human employee? Traditional automation metrics like uptime and processing speed, while still relevant, tell only part of the story. When an AI agent is making decisions that directly impact customer satisfaction, revenue generation, and business outcomes, we need a more nuanced approach to performance measurement.
The Three-Dimensional Framework for Agentic AI: A Strategic Guide to Autonomy, Authority, and Resilience
Arion Research LLC
May 24, 2025
As artificial intelligence systems become increasingly capable, organizations face a critical challenge: how to systematically design and deploy AI agents that operate with appropriate levels of independence while maintaining necessary human oversight and robust error handling. The traditional approach of viewing AI autonomy as a simple linear progression from "manual" to "fully automated" fails to capture the nuanced decisions required for real-world deployment.
This report introduces a comprehensive three-dimensional framework that provides a structured approach to understanding, designing, and implementing agentic AI systems. By examining three critical dimensions—Scope of Authority, Human Interaction Patterns, and Error Handling & Recovery—organizations can make more informed decisions about how to build AI systems that are both powerful and safe.
AI in Human Resources: Transforming Talent Acquisition, Employee Engagement, and Performance Management
Arion Research LLC
May 14, 2025
The integration of artificial intelligence into human resources is one of the most significant transformations in how organizations attract, develop, and retain talent. This report examines the rapidly evolving landscape of AI applications across the HR function, providing decision-makers with an analysis of current capabilities, implementation considerations, and future directions. We examine specific use cases across talent acquisition, employee engagement, and performance management to illustrate how AI is reshaping traditional HR practices and creating new possibilities for strategic workforce management.
AI-Powered Personalization in E-Commerce
Arion Research LLC
April 25, 2025
Personalization in e-commerce has evolved significantly over the past decade. What began as simple product recommendations based on rudimentary rule-based systems has evolved into sophisticated, predictive experiences that anticipate customer needs before they're even expressed. The journey from "customers who bought this also bought that" to today's hyper-personalized shopping experiences reflects not just technological advancement, but a fundamental shift in how retailers conceptualize the digital customer journey.
The Future of Adaptive Enterprises with Agentic AI
Arion Research LLC
April 01, 2025
Digital first businesses are undergoing rapid transformations as artificial intelligence (AI) moves from experimental technology to mission-critical infrastructure. Traditional enterprises are embracing AI to automate routine tasks, analyze rapidly growing datasets, and enhance decision-making processes. This initial wave of AI adoption has already delivered substantial efficiency gains and cost reductions while opening new avenues for innovation.
Yet we are in the early stages of an even more significant revolution: the rise of Agentic AI. Unlike traditional AI applications that operate within narrow, predefined parameters, Agentic AI systems possess autonomy, initiative, and the capacity for self-improvement. These systems don't merely respond to commands—they anticipate needs, take independent action, and continuously refine their capabilities based on outcomes.
Dynamic Pathways: Autonomous AI and the Evolution of Customer Journey Mapping
Arion Research LLC
March 26, 2025
TL;DR
Autonomous AI transforms customer journey mapping from static planning exercises into dynamic, adaptive processes that evolve in real-time based on individual customer behaviors and preferences.
Multimodal AI capabilities enable hyperpersonalization by simultaneously analyzing diverse inputs (text, voice, behavior patterns, contextual information) to develop a comprehensive understanding of customer needs.
AI-driven anticipatory customer service shifts support from reactive to proactive, identifying and addressing potential issues before customers experience significant disruption.
Emotionally intelligent AI systems recognize and respond appropriately to customer emotional states, transforming transactions into meaningful connections that acknowledge the human experience.
Autonomous AI serves as an orchestration layer across channels and touchpoints, creating seamless omnichannel experiences without requiring extensive reengineering of underlying systems.
Human-AI collaborative models represent the next evolution, blending AI's analytical capabilities with human intuition and emotional intelligence to handle complex customer interactions.
The Role of Planning and Reasoning in Next-Generation AI Agents
Arion Research LLC
March 22, 2025
TL;DR
-Advanced AI planning capabilities transform systems from reactive tools into proactive agents that can break down complex problems, consider alternatives, and adapt strategies in dynamic environments.
-AI reasoning encompasses logical, probabilistic, and commonsense approaches that enable systems to draw conclusions, make inferences beyond stated facts, and justify decisions through coherent logic.
-Hybrid architectures combining neural networks with symbolic systems represent the most promising direction for AI development, leveraging pattern recognition alongside explicit reasoning.
-Next-generation AI agents will enable autonomous task execution, human-like problem solving, enhanced decision making, and long-term goal management across various domains.
-Significant challenges remain in computational complexity, handling uncertainty, ensuring ethical operation, and integrating advanced capabilities into practical applications.
-The future will see AI evolve from tools that extend human capabilities to partners that complement human thinking, reshaping industries and enabling new forms of human-AI collaboration.
Measuring the ROI of AI Investments
Arion Research LLC
February 25, 2025
The Rising Importance of AI Investments
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming a cornerstone of modern business strategy. Organizations across industries are leveraging AI to enhance efficiency, improve decision-making, and drive innovation. From automating routine tasks to enabling advanced predictive and prescriptive analytics, AI has the potential to generate substantial business value. However, assessing the financial and strategic returns of AI investments remains a challenge.
Research Brief: ZohoDay Analyst Summit 2025
Arion Research LLC
February 23, 2025
TL;DR:
-Enterprise Expansion: Zoho is evolving beyond its SMB roots, introducing domain-specific application platforms tailored for enterprise needs, including CX, finance, and IT service management.
-AI-Driven Innovation: The company’s AI strategy, Zia AI, is built on contextual intelligence, AI-powered digital employees (Zia Agents), and proprietary large language models (LLMs), with a strong emphasis on privacy and long-term value.
-Unified Technology Stack: Zoho’s vertically integrated tech stack ensures seamless interoperability across its 55+ business applications, with built-in AI, low-code/no-code tools, and security features.
-Partner Ecosystem Growth: Zoho is expanding its partnerships with GSIs, resellers, and service providers, fostering co-creation of vertical-specific solutions and extending its market reach.
-Industry-Specific Platforms: The company is investing in vertical SaaS, offering tailored solutions for financial services, retail, automotive, and other industries, with compliance-ready and AI-powered capabilities.
-Sustainable & Privacy-First AI: Unlike competitors relying on third-party AI providers, Zoho builds its own AI models and operates 16+ global data centers, prioritizing control, security, and sustainable infrastructure.
Research Brief: SugarCRM Analyst Summit 2025
Arion Research LLC
February 20, 2025
TL;DR:
-AI-Driven CRM Innovation – SugarCRM leverages its Sugar Intelligence AI engine to enhance automation, predictive analytics, and data-driven insights across sales, marketing, and customer service functions.
-Flexible Deployment & Customization – Offering both cloud-based and on-premises solutions, SugarCRM differentiates itself with low-code/no-code customization and an open architecture.
-Revamped Partner Strategy – The company has restructured its partner program to drive growth through simplified engagement, vertical market expansion, and cloud marketplace collaboration.
-Competitive Positioning – Positioned as a strong alternative to Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics 365, and HubSpot, SugarCRM emphasizes automation, industry-specific solutions, and freedom from vendor lock-in.
The Impact of AI on Business Resilience
Arion Research LLC
February 17, 2025
AI plays a pivotal role in business resilience by enhancing risk detection, decision-making, and operational adaptability. Organizations are transitioning from reactive to proactive resilience planning through AI-powered insights and automation.
Ways AI enhances business resilience include:
Predictive risk assessment – AI models forecast disruptions and recommend preventive measures.
Automated response systems – AI-powered automation enables rapid responses to incidents.
Data-driven scenario planning – AI simulates potential risks to help businesses prepare for different contingencies.
Enhanced cybersecurity – AI-driven threat detection and prevention mechanisms safeguard IT infrastructures.
Supply chain optimization – AI helps mitigate disruptions by improving supply chain forecasting and responsiveness.
AI enables organizations to develop robust, adaptive resilience strategies that not only prevent crises but also create competitive advantages in navigating disruptions.
AI Driven Business Decisions
Arion Research LLC
January 31, 2025
Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic concept; it is actively reshaping the business landscape today. Organizations across industries are leveraging AI to process vast amounts of data, identify patterns, and automate decision-making in ways that were once impossible. AI enhances efficiency, improves accuracy, and introduces strategic agility that helps businesses stay ahead in an increasingly competitive and data-driven world.
The Impact of AI on Employee Productivity
Arion Research LLC
January 04, 2025
In today’s fast-paced and competitive business environment, productivity is a critical metric for success. Organizations are constantly seeking ways to maximize efficiency, reduce costs, and empower employees to focus on high-value activities. AI offers a transformative solution by streamlining operations and enabling employees to achieve more in less time. From automating mundane tasks to providing actionable insights through advanced analytics, AI acts as a powerful enabler of productivity.
Autonomous AI Agents: Automating the Enterprise
Arion Research LLC
December 14, 2024
Autonomous AI agents are transforming enterprises by automating complex tasks, enabling scalable solutions, and improving decision-making. These agents leverage advanced technologies like Large Language Models (LLMs), machine learning frameworks, and natural language processing to function independently with minimal human intervention. Business leaders can deploy these agents across functions such as customer service, sales, operations, and finance to achieve cost savings, enhance efficiency, and deliver superior customer experiences.
Decision Intelligence Trends for 2025
Arion Research LLC
December 03, 2024
In the rapidly evolving world of enterprise artificial intelligence (AI), decision intelligence (DI) is poised to become a transformative force for businesses in 2025. As companies navigate increasingly complex decision-making environments, decision intelligence is a key enabler of smarter, faster, and more scalable decisions. Leveraging AI, machine learning (ML), and integrated data models, DI is set to redefine how organizations make routine and high-stakes decisions alike.
Customer Experience Trends for 2025
Arion Research LLC
November 15, 2024
The world of customer experience (CX) continues to be transformed, driven by rapid advancements in technology and evolving consumer expectations. This research brief, Customer Experience Trends for 2025, explores the ten most impactful trends reshaping CX strategies for businesses worldwide. From hyper-personalized journeys enabled by AI to the rise of autonomous CX agents and ethical data practices, these trends are poised to redefine how organizations interact with their customers.
Key highlights include:
The integration of large behavioral models (LBMs) to create dynamic, individualized customer journeys.
The emergence of sophisticated AI agents like Salesforce's Agentforce, capable of end-to-end interactions.
A renewed focus on data ethics, emotional AI, and sustainability in shaping future CX.
A Use Case Driven Approach to Selecting the Ideal Language Model
Arion Research LLC
November 12, 2024
Language models are transforming industries by enabling businesses to automate communication, generate content, analyze data, and improve decision-making. However, with the growing variety of language models available—ranging from small, efficient models to large, advanced systems—choosing the right one for a specific use case has become increasingly challenging. Each type of language model offers unique capabilities and trade-offs, and their effectiveness depends heavily on the context in which they are deployed.
This report aims to guide organizations in understanding which type of language model best fits their needs. By breaking down the strengths, limitations, and unique use cases of Small, Medium, Large, Industry-Specific, Liquid Foundation, Large Behavioral, and Large Action Models, we provide a structured framework to help you identify the most appropriate technology for your specific applications.
Research Brief: AI Trends for 2025
Arion Research LLC
November 04, 2024
As we look ahead to 2025, it’s clear that artificial intelligence is continuing to evolve at a rapid pace, pushing boundaries and unlocking new opportunities. This research brief dives into some of the most transformative AI trends on the horizon. From specialized language models tailored to specific industries to the rise of autonomous agents and multimodal capabilities, each trend points to a future where AI is more adaptive, insightful, and seamlessly integrated into our daily workflows. As organizations increasingly rely on AI for decision-making, personalization, and efficiency, these trends will help guide how businesses can stay ahead in a highly dynamic landscape.
Conflict Resolution Playbook: How Agentic AI Systems De-tect, Negotiate, and Resolve Disputes at Scale
Arion Research LLC
December 12, 2025
When you deploy dozens or hundreds of AI agents across your organization, you're not just automating tasks. You're creating a digital workforce with its own internal politics, competing priorities, and inevitable disputes. The question isn't whether your agents will come into conflict. The question is whether you've designed a system that can resolve those conflicts without grinding to a halt or escalating to human intervention every time.
Beyond Bottlenecks: Dynamic Governance for AI Systems
Arion Research LLC
December 07, 2025
As we move from single Large Language Models to Multi-Agent Systems (MAS), we're discovering that intelligence alone doesn't scale. The real challenge is coordination, orchestration and governance. Imagine you've deployed 100 autonomous agents into your enterprise. One specializes in customer data analysis. Another handles inventory optimization. A third manages supplier communications. Each agent is competent at its job. But when a supply chain disruption hits, who decides which agents act first? When two agents need the same resource, who arbitrates? When market conditions shift, how do they reorganize without human intervention?
The Model Context Protocol: Understanding Its Limits and Planning Your Agent Stack
Arion Research LLC
December 05, 2025
The Model Context Protocol (MCP) received significant fanfare as a standardized way for AI agents to access tools and external systems. Anthropic's launch generated enthusiasm in the AI community, particularly among developers building local and experimental agentic systems. But as organizations move from proof-of-concept to production deployments, MCP's limitations are becoming apparent.
This isn't a story about MCP "failing" or being replaced overnight. Rather, MCP is settling into its actual role: one integration pattern among many, useful in specific contexts but insufficient as the primary fabric for enterprise agentic systems. Understanding where MCP fits (and where it doesn't) is essential for anyone building production-grade agent infrastructure.
Measuring Success: KPIs for Agentic AI in Data Quality Management
Arion Research LLC
November 23, 2025
Agentic AI systems now monitor, correct, and negotiate data integrity across enterprise systems. They operate semi-autonomously, making decisions that once required human judgment. But here's the challenge: how do we know they're actually performing well? Success in this new paradigm isn't just about accuracy. It's about trust, speed, resilience, and measurable business impact.
Semantic Layers: The Operating System for Agentic AI
Arion Research LLC
November 21, 2025
Two procurement agents receive the same purchase request: "Order 500 units of Product X from the approved supplier list." The first agent; operating without semantic grounding; searches by keyword, finds a vendor match, and places the order. The second agent, equipped with a semantic layer, cross-references the product specification against compliance requirements, verifies the supplier's certification status has not expired, and checks whether the quantity aligns with current inventory policy thresholds. Only one makes the right decision.
Hybrid Collaboration Chanels: Where Cooperation Meets Competition in Agentic AI Workflows
Arion Research LLC
November 15, 2025
The traditional view of AI collaboration assumes a simple model: agents work together toward a shared goal, following predetermined protocols and maintaining consistent roles throughout their interaction. This linear approach may have sufficed when AI systems operated in isolation or handled straightforward tasks, but it falls short in today's complex multi-agent environments.
The reality of modern agentic AI workflows is far more nuanced. Just as human organizations navigate partnerships that blend cooperation with healthy competition, AI agents increasingly need the flexibility to shift between collaborative and competitive modes depending on the task at hand.
How Agentic AI Will Reshape Financial Transactions
Arion Research LLC
November 10, 2025
Something significant is happening at the intersection of AI and commerce, and most business leaders haven't noticed yet. AI agents aren't just assisting with purchases anymore. They're making them independently, negotiating terms, and executing transactions without waiting for human approval.
Centralized vs Decentralized Agent Coordination: How Orchestration Choices Shape Autonomy, Resilience, and Emergent Behavior
Arion Research LLC
November 08, 2025
As organizations move from assistive AI to building full digital workforces, a critical architectural question emerges: how should agents coordinate with each other? The decision between centralized orchestration and decentralized coordination isn't just a technical detail. It shapes everything from system resilience to innovation capacity, from operational predictability to adaptive problem-solving.
Conflict Resolution Playbook: When Agents (and Organizations) Clash
Arion Research LLC
November 02, 2025
Just as human organizations have HR departments, management hierarchies, and conflict resolution procedures, our digital workforces need structured approaches to handle disagreement. The difference? Agent conflicts happen at machine speed, across distributed networks, with consequences that can cascade through entire ecosystems in milliseconds. The goal isn't to eliminate conflict. It's to harness it as valuable feedback that makes our agent systems smarter, more resilient, and ultimately more aligned with human values.
Resilience, Security & Real-Time Collaboration: Building the Foundation for the Agentic Enterprise
Arion Research LLC
November 01, 2025
Spotlight on the challenges and innovations in secure, low-latency, and scalable coordination architectures, especially when agents cross organizational boundaries.
The modern enterprise no longer operates within tidy boundaries. Instead, it exists as a node in a dynamic digital ecosystem where agents (both human and AI) must collaborate across organizations, geographies, and technical platforms. This isn't the collaborative work environment of the past decade. We're entering an era where digital teammates work alongside human ones, where AI agents make autonomous decisions in milliseconds, and where the coordination fabric must span not just internal teams and organizational silos, but entire supply chains and partner networks.
Synthetic Sensors and Surrogate Data: How Agentic AI Fills Gaps and Fights Fraudulent IoT Streams
Arion Research LLC
October 27, 2025
What happens when your sensors lie, or simply go silent?
In our hyper-connected world, IoT systems power our most critical infrastructure. Smart factories run around the clock. Energy grids balance supply and demand in real time. Logistics networks track millions of shipments across continents. All of this depends on one thing: continuous, trustworthy data streams flowing from thousands of sensors.
AIOps Maturity Model
Arion Research LLC
October 26, 2025
The AIOps Maturity Model provides a structured framework for understanding how organizations progress from reactive, human-driven operations to fully autonomous, adaptive, and agentic ecosystems. It highlights the interplay of four critical dimensions; Data Maturity, Automation Depth, Human–AI Collaboration, and Governance; that together define operational intelligence and resilience.
Workflow-Centric Enterprises: The Post-Application Era of Agentic AI
Arion Research LLC
October 19, 2025
Something significant happened at Dreamforce this year, though it wasn't captured in a single keynote moment or product announcement. Between the demos of Agentforce and the conversations in packed conference rooms, a new narrative about enterprise operations began taking shape. Organizations are no longer thinking primarily about which applications to buy or build. Instead, they're asking a different question: how does work actually flow through our organization?
Agentic AI Operations: The Next Frontier in Enterprise Automation
Arion Research LLC
October 16, 2025
Enterprise AI is going through a dramatic transformation. What began as cautious experimentation with machine learning models has evolved into the bold deployment of autonomous AI agents capable of reasoning, decision-making, and acting independently. Yet as organizations embrace this new concept, a critical challenge emerges: how do you effectively manage, monitor, and govern AI systems that operate with varying degrees of autonomy? The answer lies in Agentic AI Operations (AIOps), a discipline that is rapidly becoming the cornerstone of successful AI-driven enterprises.
Decentralized Governance Models for Agentic AI: DAOs, Blockchain, and Beyond
Arion Research LLC
October 12, 2025
What if your digital workforce could vote on operational priorities or enforce ethical boundaries through code, not committees? As artificial intelligence evolves from passive tools into autonomous agents capable of independent decision-making, we're entering uncharted territory. These agentic AI systems operate across networks, enterprises, and entire ecosystems, raising urgent questions about control, accountability, and trust.
ChatGPT: From Chatbot to Application Platform
Arion Research LLC
October 08, 2025
Users of ChatGPT see it as a conversational agent; a chatbot. You open a text box, type a question, and receive an answer. It's powerful, sometimes remarkably so, but the interaction model is simple: prompt in, response out. That mental model is about to shift dramatically.
The announcements at OpenAI's Dev Day 2025 signal something bigger than incremental improvements. ChatGPT is evolving from an interface into a substrate. From a place where you talk to AI, to a place where you build with AI. The new Apps SDK and AgentKit are turning ChatGPT into a runtime environment for applications and autonomous workflows.
How Agentic AI Powers Data-Driven Compliance in Finance
Arion Research LLC
October 05, 2025
Traditional compliance operates reactively. Teams follow rule-based checklists, manually review flagged transactions, and scramble to meet reporting deadlines. The work is labor-intensive, expensive, and prone to human error. Yet here's the paradox: as regulations multiply, so does the data available to ensure compliance. Financial institutions now have access to transaction histories, communication logs, external datasets, and behavioral patterns that could dramatically improve compliance outcomes. The problem? Humans simply can't process it all fast enough. Agentic AI transforms this equation. Instead of treating compliance as a manual policing function, it becomes a proactive, data-driven intelligence layer that works continuously, learns from every interaction, and scales effortlessly across regulatory domains.
Manufacturing's Digital Workforce: Beyond Automation to Intelligent Production
Arion Research LLC
October 04, 2025
The manufacturing industry is often the source of innovation. From the first assembly lines to today's robotic arms and connected machines, the sector has continuously pushed the boundaries of what automation can achieve. The next evolution in manufacturing isn't simply about adding more robots or connecting more sensors though. It's about creating intelligent production environments where AI agents work alongside humans and machines, forming a digital workforce capable of perceiving, reasoning, and acting across entire manufacturing ecosystems.
Super-Agent Ecosystems: Interconnected, Cross-Organizational Agentic AI Networks
Arion Research LLC
September 28, 2025
Standalone agentic AI is rapidly giving way to something far more transformative. While individual AI agents have proven their worth in task automation, decision support, and specialized domains like customer service or data analysis, we're now seeing something entirely new: interconnected networks of agents that coordinate across organizational boundaries like digital organisms.
The Pillars of Data Quality: What Every Agentic AI System Needs to Succeed
Arion Research LLC
September 25, 2025
The enterprise agentic AI revolution is here, but there's a catch. While organizations rush to deploy autonomous agents capable of making complex decisions without human oversight, many are building these sophisticated systems on shaky ground. The critical foundation that determines whether agentic AI succeeds or fails isn't the algorithm sophistication or computational power. It's data quality.
Super-Agents at the Edge: When AI Moves Beyond the Cloud
Arion Research LLC
September 21, 2025
Artificial intelligence isn't just getting smarter, it's getting closer. While we've grown accustomed to AI systems that live in distant data centers, a quiet revolution is happening at the periphery of our networks. Agentic AI, once tethered to powerful cloud platforms, is now breaking free and embedding itself directly into the devices around us. These aren't your typical edge AI systems that simply recognize patterns or predict maintenance schedules. We're talking about super-agents at the edge; autonomous, decision-making AI agents that can reason, collaborate, and act independently right where the action happens.
Why Trust in Data Matters: Building Business Confidence with Reliable AI
Arion Research LLC
September 17, 2025
In boardrooms across industries, executives are grappling with a modern paradox. AI promises enhanced business insights and competitive advantages, yet its power hinges entirely on something most leaders rarely see: the quality of data flowing through their systems. As artificial intelligence becomes the backbone of strategic decision-making, the old adage "garbage in, garbage out" has never carried higher stakes. This isn't merely a technical concern relegated to IT departments. Trust in data has become a critical business confidence driver, determining whether organizations can harness AI's potential or fall victim to its blind spots.
How Agentic AI Agents Automate and Elevate Data Cleansing
Arion Research LLC
September 13, 2025
Every business sits on a goldmine of data, but too often, that gold is buried under layers of inaccuracies, duplicates, and incomplete records. Data quality issues plague organizations across industries: customer records with missing email addresses, financial transactions with inconsistent formats, inventory systems showing phantom stock levels, and analytics dashboards built on unreliable information. But what if data cleansing could shift from a manual, reactive scramble to an automated, proactive discipline? Agentic AI agents can facilitate this transformation, turning data quality from a persistent headache into a strategic advantage.
Governance by Design: Embedding Ethical Guardrails Directly into Agentic AI Architectures
Arion Research LLC
September 12, 2025
As artificial intelligence systems gain increasing levels of autonomy, the traditional approach of adding compliance measures after deployment is proving inadequate. We need a new approach: Governance by Design; a proactive methodology that weaves ethical guardrails directly into the fabric of AI architectures from the ground up.
Common Ethical Dilemmas in Agentic AI: Real-World Scenarios and Practical Responses
Arion Research LLC
September 07, 2025
Artificial intelligence continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Today's AI systems don't just respond to prompts or classify data; they act autonomously, make complex decisions, and execute tasks without waiting for human approval. These agentic AI systems promise remarkable efficiency gains, but they also introduce ethical challenges that many organizations aren't prepared to handle.
Building the Digital Workforce: Strategies for Agentic AI Success
Arion Research LLC
September 15, 2025
Building the Digital Workforce unveils how agentic AI is redefining what’s possible in business. Thought leader and technology analyst Michael Fauscette shares hard-won insights and real-world examples from the front lines of digital transformation, helping you move beyond automation to truly autonomous AI partners reshaping teams, decision-making, and business value.
The Digital Workforce Revolution: What 442 Business Leaders Revealed About Agentic AI
Arion Research LLC
July 31, 2025
Survey methodology note: "Survey of 442 business professionals
across industries and roles, conducted in early 2025 on Agentic AI adoption"
Learn more in "Building the Digital Workforce:
Strategies for Agentic AI Success"
Ethical Risk Zones for Agentic AI
Arion Research LLC
July 27, 2025
As organizations rapidly adopt agentic AI systems capable of autonomous decision-making, five critical ethical risk zones demand immediate attention from business leaders and technologists. Unlike traditional AI tools that assist human decision-makers, these autonomous agents can act independently at scale, creating unprecedented challenges around accountability, transparency, and human oversight. The "moral crumple zone" emerges when responsibility becomes unclear between developers, deployers, and the AI systems themselves, while bias amplification risks occur when autonomous decisions perpetuate discrimination without human intervention.
The Evolution of RAG: From Simple Retrieval to Multi- Agent Reasoning
Arion Research LLC
July 21, 2025
Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) has transformed and evolved to meet emerging business and system requirements over time. What started as a simple approach to combine information retrieval with text generation has evolved into sophisticated, context-aware systems that rival human researchers in their ability to synthesize information from multiple sources.
Generative AI Industry Use Cases
Arion Research LLC
August 27, 2024
The other way to examine generative AI is in specific industry vertical applications. The path of horizontal technology often leads to more industry focused functionality that addresses the unique needs and requirements of each vertical. This infographic breaks down some of the more compelling industry vertical use cases. These use cases build off the base categories (see the previous use case infographic) to meet specific needs in each covered vertical.
Generative AI Use Cases
Arion Research LLC
August 24, 2024
The business use cases for generative AI are very diverse, with new applications of the technology popping up nearly weekly. To better understand the potential of generative AI, it’s useful to break it down into the major use categories, and then work down from there into more detail. The model is an attempt to capture the current use cases as categories.
Large Action Models
Arion Research LLC
August 08, 2024
Large Action Models (LAMs) are a new advancement in AI that builds upon the capabilities of Large Language Models (LLMs). LAMs leverage a combination of existing AI technologies to bridge the gap between understanding language and taking action in the digital world.
Business Adoption and Use of Artificial Intelligence
Arion Research LLC
August 05, 2023
Arion Research conducted a survey of 402 people in North America on AI adoption in August 2023. This infographic presents some of the preliminary finding and a small sample of some of the high level data from that survey.
Business Adoption and Use of AI
BrightVision
October 04, 2023
In this week's Tech Marketing Trends episode, Jakob Löwenbrand welcomes Michael Fauscette, a tech veteran with a rich background including roles at PeopleSoft, Autodesk, and as Chief Research Officer at G2. Michael is here to discuss his latest report on business adoption and use of AI.
BIG CX News – The Latest on Microsoft Sales Copilot, Salesforce AI Cloud, and Zoom In WFM
CX Today
August 11, 2023
CX Today’s Charlie Mitchell presents the latest trending news from the customer experience world.
He’s joined by five prominent CX analysts to dissect the latest stories from the space – including news from Microsoft, Salesforce, and Zoom.
In this edition, our CX experts include:
Liz Miller, VP & Principal Analyst at Constellation Research
Rebecca Wetteman, Principal at Valoir
Michael Fauscette, Founder, CEO & Chief Analyst at Arion Research
Shelly Kramer, Principal Analyst at V3B
Martin Schneider, Head of Research at Annuitas Research
BIG CX News – The Latest on Verint’s CCaaS Move & the Genesys Experience Index
CX Today
July 11, 2023
CX Today’s Charlie Mitchell presents the latest trending news from the customer experience world. He’s joined by three prominent CX analysts to dissect the latest stories from the space – including news from Verint and Genesys.
In this edition, our CX experts include:
Liz Miller, VP & Principal Analyst at Constellation Research
Rebecca Wetteman, Principal at Valoir
Michael Fauscette, Founder, CEO & Chief Analyst at Arion Research
The Latest on Zoom’s AI Assistant, Twilio’s Losses, & a Possible RingCentral-8×8 Merger
CX Today
June 02, 2023
CX Today’s Charlie Mitchell presents the latest trending news from the customer experience world.
He’s joined by four prominent CX analysts to dissect the latest stories from the space – including news from Zoom, Twilio, Lifesize, RingCentral, and 8×8.
In this edition, our CX experts include:
Dave Michaels, Lead Analyst at TalkingPointz.com
Liz Miller, VP & Principal Analyst at Constellation Research
Rebecca Wetteman, Principal at Valoir
Michael Fauscette, Founder, CEO & Chief Analyst at Arion Research
Tags: Customer Experience, Mergers and Acquisitions
Just like Coffee - Digital Transformation is not ONE and done
Digital Evolution Forum
March 14, 2022
Companies are now focussing on the digital experience they provide to their customers and their staff. When digitally transforming it is important to understand it is not a one and done. In order to become a fully digitised business, you must look at all of your operations in a new light. CEO & Chief Analyst, Arion Research, Michael Fauscette explains digital transformation is all about the people, not the technology and how to shift towards a digital-first mindset.
Tags: Business Strategy, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation
Ep. 24 - Business Innovation And Technology Research with Michael Fauscette
YouTube
November 04, 2021
This episode of the Success Fundamentals Podcast features Michael Fauscette, CEO & Chief Analyst of Arion Research and Advisor to G2 and Entercom.io. A career in tech is not dependent on your educational background.
Michael's story of success found him in many different fields trying many things out before he found his way to tech. His background in music lent a different way of learning but his natural curiosity is what drove him forward.
After a decade of experience in engineering and software while in the Navy, Michael adapted post-Navy to a life in tech. He shares that you define your success and passion is the only reason you should be doing it.
He shares his thoughts on money as a tool and power as best wielded by servant leaders. Finally, Michael shares his current initiatives like an upcoming book and his role in Arion Research.
Curiosity Doesn't Kill the Cat with Michael Fauscette
Success Fundamentals
November 04, 2021
This episode of the Success Fundamentals Podcast features Michael Fauscette, CEO & Chief Analyst of Arion Research and Advisor to G2 and Entercom.io. A career in tech is not dependent on your educational background.
Tags: Digital Disruption, Startups, Entrepreneurship
CRM Playaz Weekly with Mike Fauscette
YouTube
April 08, 2021
Advisor, Board Chair, Influence, Analyst, Thought Leader, Jazz Aficionado and Expert Photographer Mike Fauscette joins us to shoot the stuff about whatever comes to our mind....
CRMKonvo #25 Michael Fauscette on CX Trends Analysts and photography
YouTube
December 02, 2020
We will discuss 2021 trends, views on the best and worst buzzwords on the market, the role of CDPs and an actually usable AI.
Michael is a renowned analyst and author, with more than 20 years of experience in and around the CRM industry. He is the Chief Research Officer at G2, an analyst firm that bases its analyses on customer feedback. Our discussion topics will include the role of analysts — whether they are serving their purpose well and what could be improved, the meaning of CX, trends and, of course, the worst industry buzzwords of the year.
And some photography.
As usual - it is a conversation and might lead different directions.
How to get the right technology to power mobile marketing success
MarketingSherpa
January 15, 2019
To truly leverage mobile marketing, it takes three crucial elements — the right plan, the right technology to power that plan, and great creative ideas to make use of that technology for the customer’s benefit.
We sat down with Michael Fauscette, Chief Research Officer, G2 Crowd, to give you ideas for your brand’s mobile marketing strategy — discussing everything from AR and beacons to single view of the customer to data-driven marketing to vendor selection.
Competitive Advantage: It’s Not Just About the Technology, It’s About the Frame of Reference
CxOTalk
October 09, 2015
Creating the right environment to connect with customers, employees and partners is not just about doing the same thing we have always done. If we do more of the same thing we don’t have the right frame of reference. The Business Modernization framework is a way to look at all aspects of the business and identify what the new way to operate should be, identify the technology that can enable that, then identify the culture shifts and the change that needs to happen to enable the business to be effective in today's environment.
Tags: Business Strategy, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation
Customer Edge TV: The Modern Customer Journey Map CRM
Customer Edge TV
October 03, 2014
Mike Fauscette, Group VP of Software Business Solutions at IDC discusses modernizing customer journey mapping and building customer experience models. He takes us through the stages of buying: Need, Brand Awareness, Education, Evaluation, Decision, Purchase, Advocate. They also touch upon how mobile changes this model.
#14: CXOTalk with Michael Fauscette
YouTube
June 14, 2013
CXO-Talk brings you live conversations on leadership, innovation, and transformation with people shaping the future. Your hosts are Michael Krigsman and Vala Afshar.
Community for a Complete Customer Experience Strategy: IDC's Michael Fauscette
YouTube
January 09, 2013
Your customers have adapted to the social age—they're tech savvy with lots of options and short attention spans. Your business must adapt along with them if you want to capture their attention and earn their loyalty. Michael Fauscette, Group VP of IDC's Software Business Solutions, discusses about the best way for companies to engage, interact, and provide a positive experience at every point in the customer lifecycle.
AIOps Unfiltered: What Actually Works
Arion Research LLC
December 07, 2025
In this episode of Disambiguation, I had the pleasure of speaking with Marty Duffy, SVP of Product R&D Operations at G2. We discussed the timely and critical topic of AI Ops, specifically focusing on the concept of "agentic ops" and what truly works in this evolving landscape.
November 2025 AI Pulse
Arion Research LLC
November 22, 2025
Welcome to the November edition of AI Pulse on the Disambiguation Podcast! Join hosts Michael Fauscette and Tom Pringle as they dive into the latest trends and news in artificial intelligence, generative AI, and business automation.
Books, Bots, and the New Rights Economy: How AI Is Rewriting Publishing
Arion Research LLC
November 13, 2025
In this episode of Disambiguation, I had the pleasure of speaking with Julie Trelstad, the Head of US Publishing at AMLET AI, about the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on the publishing industry. With over 35 years of experience in book publishing, Julie shared her insights on how AI is reshaping the landscape for authors and publishers alike.
Agentic AI Trends for 2026
Arion Research LLC
October 29, 2025
Host Michael Fauscette as he dives into the latest insights from our recently published Agentic AI Trends and Predictions Report for 2026. In this episode, we explore the evolution of enterprises from experimenting with generative AI to operationalizing intelligent agents across digital workflows. Discover what agentic AI is and how it differs from traditional AI tools.
When AI Gives the Wrong Answer: Optimizing Customer Experience
Arion Research LLC
October 21, 2025
Welcome to this week's episode of Disambiguation! Join host Michael Fauscette as he dives into the world of artificial intelligence, generative AI, and business automation with expert Anuj Shah, founder and CEO of Averas AI.
In this episode Anuj shares his extensive experience at the intersection of customer service and emerging tech, particularly in highly regulated environments like financial services. He discusses the critical importance of data quality and knowledge management in AI implementations, especially when deploying autonomous agents.
October 2025 AI Pulse
Arion Research LLC
October 17, 2025
Welcome to the October edition of AI Pulse on the Disambiguation Podcast! Join hosts Michael Fauscette and Tom Pringle as they dive into the latest trends and announcements in artificial intelligence, generative AI, and business automation.
America's AI Talent Crunch
Arion Research LLC
September 30, 2025
In this episode of the Disambiguation Podcast, host Michael Fauscette dives into the critical intersection of U.S. immigration policy, tech innovation, and the future of American leadership in artificial intelligence. As the AI sector grapples with a historic talent shortage, recent changes to the H-1B visa program raise significant concerns for startups and smaller tech firms.
September 2025 AI Pulse
Arion Research LLC
September 23, 2025
Welcome to the September edition of AI Pulse on Disambiguation! Join host Michael Fauscette and co-host Tom Pringle as they dive into the latest developments in artificial intelligence, generative AI, and business automation.
Agentic AI Enhanced Sales Strategy
Arion Research LLC
September 09, 2025
Welcome to this week's episode of Disambiguation! Join host Michael Fauscette as he dives into the transformative world of Agentic AI and its impact on sales strategies. In this episode, Michael replays a lively discussion from his co-hosted show, In the Hot Seat, featuring Pete Smith, the founder and CEO of SpotLogic.
From Data Chaos to Revenue Clarity: The AI Agent Revolution in B2B Sales
Arion Research LLC
September 02, 2025
Welcome to this week's episode of Disambiguation! Join host Michael Fauscette as he sits down with Toni Keskinen, co-founder, CPO, and chairman of 180Ops, to explore the transformative power of AI in B2B sales.
Red Teaming AI: Catching Vulnerabilities Before Hackers Do
Arion Research LLC
August 26, 2025
Welcome to this week's episode of the Disambiguation Podcast! Join host Michael Fauscette as he dives into the fascinating world of AI security with the founders of Silmaril.dev, Aum Upadhyay and Eduardo Velasco. In this episode titled "Red Teaming AI: Catching Vulnerabilities Before Hackers Do," we explore the critical intersection of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
August 2025 AI Pulse
Arion Research LLC
August 21, 2025
Welcome to the August edition of AI Pulse on the Disambiguation Podcast! Join your hosts, Michael Fauscette and Tom Pringle, as they dive into the latest developments in artificial intelligence, generative AI, and business automation.
Building Startups at AI Speed: 5x Faster Product Development
Arion Research LLC
August 12, 2025
Welcome to the 100th episode of the Disambiguation Podcast! In this special episode, host Michael Fauscette sits down with Richard Abi-Chahla, founder and product manager at Purple Brains, to explore the exciting world of building startups at AI speed.
Empowering Project Delivery teams with Agentic AI
Arion Research LLC
July 29, 2025
Join host Michael Fauscette as he dives into the world of artificial intelligence, generative AI, and business automation with special guest Kristy Tupper, Head of Product at Momba AI. In this episode, we explore how Momba AI is empowering product delivery teams through innovative agentic applications. Kristy shares insights from her journey as a business analyst and product manager, discussing the evolution of Momba's focus on specialized AI agents that streamline business analysis tasks.
July 2025 AI Pulse
Arion Research LLC
July 22, 2025
In this July edition of AI Pulse, I was joined by my co-host, Tom Pringle, Director of Pilot Research. Together, we explored a plethora of fascinating news and developments from the past month that are shaping the future of AI and automation.
Crafting an Effective AI Strategy
Arion Research LLC
July 18, 2025
In this episode of the Disambiguation podcast, host Michael Fauscette sits down with Michael Peter, Principal Architect at Google Cloud, to explore the evolving landscape of AI strategy for businesses. They discuss the significant shifts in how organizations approach AI, moving from experimental projects to implementing effective, outcome-focused strategies that drive competitive advantage.
The View from 2030, A Chat with Claude via Aurora
Arion Research LLC
July 07, 2025
Welcome to this week's episode of Disambiguation! Join host Michael Fauscette as he takes a unique approach to exploring the future of AI. In this episode, we interview Aurora, an AI chatbot from 2030, powered by Claude Sonnet 4.
Disambiguation: June 2025 AI Pulse
Arion Research LLC
June 23, 2025
In this episode of Disambiguation, we dive into the latest developments in artificial intelligence, generative AI, and business automation in our June edition of AI Pulse. We explore a variety of recent AI news stories and their implications for business leaders navigating this rapidly evolving landscape.
The Digital Workforce Revolution
Arion Research LLC
June 16, 2025
Curious about the challenges organizations face when implementing agentic AI? We break down the key barriers and how to overcome them in this week's episode. Join the conversation and learn how to navigate this transformative landscape!
Regaining Trust Through Connected Selling
Customer Gauge
March 12, 2019
In 2019, it’s time to ask the pertinent questions: Where are your customers going? What are they doing? And, most importantly, how will you meet them where they are? Using data from over 2 million B2B buyers per month, G2 Crowd’s Chief Research Officer, Michael Fauscette, discusses what clients are saying it takes for them to make a buying decision in today’s market.
How to communicate with mobile consumers to increase sales and loyal customers
Techcrunch
July 26, 2023
This time a survey of global consumers about channel preferences for communicating with businesses.
Highlights
1. The channels consumers prefer to communicate with businesses vary depending on the type of activity, level of trust and perceived personal risk
2. Email and phone top the list for trust, while SMS and social media are the least trusted channels for communicating with businesses
3. Businesses that over communicate through any channel will face negative consequences
4. Consumers prefer to communicate in real-time with businesses when seeking support
5. Retention, attention and advocacy are high value outcomes directly related to full spectrum communication strategy
Communication Channel Preferences for Mobile Consumers
Sendbird
May 10, 2023
Arion Research surveyed 1200 global consumers who use mobile apps about their communication channel preferences for interacting with businesses. The survey asked consumers 18 years and older from 14 countries around the world which channels they use, prefer, trust and pay attention to when interacting with businesses. The survey reveals that not all channels are equal for consumer trust and attention when it comes to different types of business communication.
*Why mobile apps matter as a channel to connect with customers
* Consumer preferences for push notifications from mobile apps
* How consumer experiences with SMS have changed in the past 12 months
* Consequences for poor business communication practices
Tags: CRM, Customer Experience, Digital Transformation
Gamification in the Workplace Webinar with Michael Fauscette
YouTube
September 16, 2013
This is an exclusive Webinar with IDC's VP of Software Business Solutions, Michael Fauscette.
In this webinar, Michael discusses how business gamification creates a more successful and engaging community experience for customers, employees and partners.
Generative AI Trends 2025: Moving Beyond LLMs: The Next Frontier in AI Innovation
Date : October 22, 2024
In the past two years, large language models (LLMs) have revolutionized the AI landscape, showcasing their remarkable capabilities in understanding and generating human-like text. Their versatility has led to widespread adoption across industries, powering applications from chatbots to content creation. This rapid innovation cycle has not only highlighted the potential of LLMs but also paved the way for the emergence of next-generation language models tailored to specific needs and contexts.
The Rise of Specialized Language Models
As organizations seek to leverage AI for more targeted applications, specialized language models are gaining traction. These models come in various sizes—small, medium, and large—each designed to meet the specific demands of different industries and domains. For example, a small model might be optimized for customer support interactions, while a large model could be tailored for complex legal document analysis. This specialization allows businesses to harness the power of AI in ways that are most relevant to their operations, enhancing efficiency and effectiveness.
Large Action Models: Bridging the Gap
Another significant part of this trend is the development of large action models that go beyond mere text generation. These models are designed to understand and execute complex tasks, integrating various forms of input and output. This capability not only improves user experience but also enables businesses to automate workflows and make data-driven decisions more effectively. As large action models become more sophisticated, their applications will expand into areas such as process automation, decision support, and predictive analytics.
Liquid Foundation Models: The Future of Continuous Learning
One of the most exciting advancements on the horizon is the concept of liquid foundation models (LFMs). These models aim to minimize the need for extensive pretraining and enable continuous improvement without the traditional retraining processes. By leveraging a dynamic approach to learning, LFMs can adapt to new data and changing environments in real-time, making them highly responsive to the evolving needs of users. This shift represents a significant departure from the static nature of current LLMs, paving the way for more resilient and adaptable AI systems.
As we move beyond traditional LLMs, the future of AI is set to be defined by specialization, action-oriented capabilities, and continuous learning. The emergence of specialized LMs, large action models, and liquid foundation models reflects a broader trend toward more adaptable and efficient AI solutions. By embracing these innovations, organizations can unlock new possibilities for automation, decision-making, and customer engagement, ultimately transforming their operations in the process. The next phase of AI development promises to be as transformative as the last, as we explore the full potential of these next-generation models.
In the past two years, large language models (LLMs) have revolutionized the AI landscape, showcasing their remarkable capabilities in understanding and generating human-like text. Their versatility has led to widespread adoption across industries, powering applications from chatbots to content creation. This rapid innovation cycle has not only highlighted the potential of LLMs but also paved the way for the emergence of next-generation language models tailored to specific needs and contexts. The Rise of Specialized Language Models As organizations seek to leverage AI for more targeted applications, specialized language models are gaining traction. These models come in various sizes—small, medium, and large—each designed to meet the specific demands of different industries and domains. For example, a small model might be optimized for customer support interactions, while a large model could be tailored for complex legal document analysis. This specialization allows businesses to harness the power of AI in ways that are most relevant to their operations, enhancing efficiency and effectiveness. Large Action Models: Bridging the Gap Another significant part of this trend is the development of large action models that go beyond mere text generation. These models are designed to understand and execute complex tasks, integrating various forms of input and output. This capability not only improves user experience but also enables businesses to automate workflows and make data-driven decisions more effectively. As large action models become more sophisticated, their applications will expand into areas such as process automation, decision support, and predictive analytics. Liquid Foundation Models: The Future of Continuous Learning One of the most exciting advancements on the horizon is the concept of liquid foundation models (LFMs). These models aim to minimize the need for extensive pretraining and enable continuous improvement without the traditional retraining processes. By leveraging a dynamic approach to learning, LFMs can adapt to new data and changing environments in real-time, making them highly responsive to the evolving needs of users. This shift represents a significant departure from the static nature of current LLMs, paving the way for more resilient and adaptable AI systems. As we move beyond traditional LLMs, the future of AI is set to be defined by specialization, action-oriented capabilities, and continuous learning. The emergence of specialized LMs, large action models, and liquid foundation models reflects a broader trend toward more adaptable and efficient AI solutions. By embracing these innovations, organizations can unlock new possibilities for automation, decision-making, and customer engagement, ultimately transforming their operations in the process. The next phase of AI development promises to be as transformative as the last, as we explore the full potential of these next-generation models.
Over the next year generative AI continues to evolve rapidly, reinforcing and compounding the role it played in 2023 in democratizing and consumerizing AI. Generative AI providers will make several improvements including increasing conversational fluency, improving response accuracy and providing better tools for improving prompts. Application providers will continue to embed generative AI across the full range of enterprise applications, democratize the use by moving prompt engineering away from the user and into the middle layer which will simplify user interaction with the tools, and offering more applications tailored for individual industries. Companies will continue the focus on immediate outcomes for generative AI projects (productivity gains), moving from proof of concept and pilot projects to full production and increase investments in generative AI enabled applications, particularly for industry vertical use cases. The early adopter companies will start shifting from immediate outcomes (productivity) to strategies that systematize end-to-end solutions.
Location: virtual Fees: fee, equity or a blend of both tbd
Service Type: Service Offered
Senior leader with executive level experience in business software, AI and Agentic AI, services management, starting new businesses and business models in large and small software companies, and business turn-a-round. Direct experience leading all facets of technology companies including strategy, market intelligence, data analysis and visualization, consulting, research, product marketing, and services.
Experience:
-35+ years in high tech
-30+ years of executive leadership
-Executive at 5 venture backed technology startups including unicorn G2
-International Management Experience
-Board member and board chairman at 2 tech startups
-Advisory board member at 2 tech startups
-19 years advising tech companies on strategy, go-to-market, competitors, product market fit, PLG
-19+ years leading market analysts, delivering strategy consulting and market intelligence
-Deep vertical industry expertise in high technology and services industries
Location: virtual Fees: $12,000 for client and up to 4 comp
Service Type: Service Offered
Develop a market analysis report and presentation for technology company product. Study includes a SWOT analysis of client and up to 4 competitors (additional competitors can be added for an additional fee) and an executive briefing (virtual)
Develop thought leadership content - blog, article or eBook
Location: virtual Fees: To be negotiated based on content
Service Type: Service Offered
Develop thought leadership content in the form of a blog post, an article or an eBook. Subjects include customer experience, subscriber experience, digital first, digital transformation, CRM, project based ERP, sales tech, subscription management, customer advocacy, etc. (See profile for areas of expertise).
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Ambassador Agentic AI
Modernizing Your Sales Tech Stack
Customer Experience Trends for 2026
Agentic AI Trends 2026
The AI Privacy Equation: Balancing Innovation with Protection in the Modern Enterprise
Ethical Considerations in Agentic AI Implementation
Agentic AI and Cybersecurity: Enhancing Threat Detection and Resilience with Autonomous Agents
Data Privacy Considerations When Implementing Specialized AI Agents
Measuring Success: KPIs for Specialized AI Agent Performance
The Three-Dimensional Framework for Agentic AI: A Strategic Guide to Autonomy, Authority, and Resilience
AI in Human Resources: Transforming Talent Acquisition, Employee Engagement, and Performance Management
AI-Powered Personalization in E-Commerce
The Future of Adaptive Enterprises with Agentic AI
Dynamic Pathways: Autonomous AI and the Evolution of Customer Journey Mapping
The Role of Planning and Reasoning in Next-Generation AI Agents
Measuring the ROI of AI Investments
Research Brief: ZohoDay Analyst Summit 2025
Research Brief: SugarCRM Analyst Summit 2025
The Impact of AI on Business Resilience
AI Driven Business Decisions
The Impact of AI on Employee Productivity
Autonomous AI Agents: Automating the Enterprise
Decision Intelligence Trends for 2025
Customer Experience Trends for 2025
A Use Case Driven Approach to Selecting the Ideal Language Model
Research Brief: AI Trends for 2025
Conflict Resolution Playbook: How Agentic AI Systems De-tect, Negotiate, and Resolve Disputes at Scale
Beyond Bottlenecks: Dynamic Governance for AI Systems
The Model Context Protocol: Understanding Its Limits and Planning Your Agent Stack
Measuring Success: KPIs for Agentic AI in Data Quality Management
Semantic Layers: The Operating System for Agentic AI
Hybrid Collaboration Chanels: Where Cooperation Meets Competition in Agentic AI Workflows
How Agentic AI Will Reshape Financial Transactions
Centralized vs Decentralized Agent Coordination: How Orchestration Choices Shape Autonomy, Resilience, and Emergent Behavior
Conflict Resolution Playbook: When Agents (and Organizations) Clash
Resilience, Security & Real-Time Collaboration: Building the Foundation for the Agentic Enterprise
Synthetic Sensors and Surrogate Data: How Agentic AI Fills Gaps and Fights Fraudulent IoT Streams
AIOps Maturity Model
Workflow-Centric Enterprises: The Post-Application Era of Agentic AI
Agentic AI Operations: The Next Frontier in Enterprise Automation
Decentralized Governance Models for Agentic AI: DAOs, Blockchain, and Beyond
ChatGPT: From Chatbot to Application Platform
How Agentic AI Powers Data-Driven Compliance in Finance
Manufacturing's Digital Workforce: Beyond Automation to Intelligent Production
Super-Agent Ecosystems: Interconnected, Cross-Organizational Agentic AI Networks
The Pillars of Data Quality: What Every Agentic AI System Needs to Succeed
Super-Agents at the Edge: When AI Moves Beyond the Cloud
Why Trust in Data Matters: Building Business Confidence with Reliable AI
How Agentic AI Agents Automate and Elevate Data Cleansing
Governance by Design: Embedding Ethical Guardrails Directly into Agentic AI Architectures
Common Ethical Dilemmas in Agentic AI: Real-World Scenarios and Practical Responses
Chairman
Independent Director
Building the Digital Workforce: Strategies for Agentic AI Success
Arion Research LLC
The Digital Workforce Revolution: What 442 Business Leaders Revealed About Agentic AI
Ethical Risk Zones for Agentic AI
The Evolution of RAG: From Simple Retrieval to Multi- Agent Reasoning
Generative AI Industry Use Cases
Generative AI Use Cases
Large Action Models
Business Adoption and Use of Artificial Intelligence
Business Adoption and Use of AI
Curiosity Doesn't Kill the Cat with Michael Fauscette
AIOps Unfiltered: What Actually Works
November 2025 AI Pulse
Books, Bots, and the New Rights Economy: How AI Is Rewriting Publishing
Agentic AI Trends for 2026
When AI Gives the Wrong Answer: Optimizing Customer Experience
October 2025 AI Pulse
America's AI Talent Crunch
September 2025 AI Pulse
Agentic AI Enhanced Sales Strategy
From Data Chaos to Revenue Clarity: The AI Agent Revolution in B2B Sales
Red Teaming AI: Catching Vulnerabilities Before Hackers Do
August 2025 AI Pulse
Building Startups at AI Speed: 5x Faster Product Development
Empowering Project Delivery teams with Agentic AI
July 2025 AI Pulse
Crafting an Effective AI Strategy
The View from 2030, A Chat with Claude via Aurora
The Digital Workforce Revolution
Regaining Trust Through Connected Selling
Communication Channel Preferences for Mobile Consumers
Board Director / Advisory Board Member
B2B Reviews and Customer Advocacy Programs
Competitive Market Analysis
Develop thought leadership content - blog, article or eBook
Advisor
