What We Got Right and Wrong About AI

On Wednesday’s show, the DAS crew wrapped up the year by reflecting on how AI actually showed up in day to day work during 2025, what expectations missed the mark, and which changes quietly stuck. The discussion focused on real adoption versus hype, how workflows evolved over the year, where agents made progress, and where friction remained. The crew also looked ahead to what 2026 is likely to demand from teams, especially around discipline, systems thinking, and operational maturity.

Key Points Discussed

2025 delivered more AI usage, but less transformation than headlines suggested

Most gains came from small workflow changes, not sweeping automation

Agents improved, but still require heavy structure and oversight

Teams that documented processes saw better results than teams chasing tools

AI fatigue increased as novelty wore off

Real value came from narrowing scope and tightening feedback loops

2026 will reward execution, not experimentation

Timestamps and Topics

00:00:19 👋 New Year’s Eve opening and reflections

00:04:10 🧠 Looking back at AI expectations for 2025

00:09:35 📉 Where AI underdelivered versus predictions

00:14:50 🔁 Small workflow wins that added up

00:20:40 🤖 Agent progress and remaining gaps

00:27:15 📋 Process discipline and documentation lessons

00:33:30 ⚙️ What teams misunderstood about AI adoption

00:39:45 🔮 What 2026 will demand from organizations

00:45:10 🏁 Year end closing and takeaways

The Daily AI Show Co Hosts: Andy Halliday, Brian Maucere, Beth Lyons, and Karl Yeh