Subvolts take AI agents will dominate enterprise in 2026, demanding new management tools. Oct 22, 2025 - Developers
- Learn about the emerging needs for managing fleets of AI agents and the security aspects of tool-calling.
- Business
- Understand the predicted timeline for enterprise AI agent adoption and the infrastructure required to support them.
This episode offers a forward-looking perspective on AI agents, a key area for future development and enterprise adoption.
Keycard: 2026 is the Year of Agents
Audio streams from a16z. Your place is remembered on this device.
From Subvolts
Summary and analysis by Subvolts editorial, AI-assisted.
This AI + a16z podcast episode features Joel de la Garza and Keycard CEO Ian Livingstone discussing the rise of AI agents. They predict 2026 will be the year companies deploy agents, focusing on enterprise adoption. The conversation covers the transition from copilots to agents, tool-calling security, and agent control.
Imagine AI assistants that can do tasks for you, not just help you. This episode talks about how these "agents" will become common in businesses soon. It explains why companies will use them before people do and how to keep them safe and controlled.
This episode is for business leaders and developers interested in the practical application of AI agents. It explains the anticipated shift from current AI tools to more autonomous agents and highlights the enterprise focus. Listeners will learn about the security considerations and management needs for deploying these agents at scale, offering insight into the next wave of AI adoption beyond current models from frontier labs.
- Hosta16z
- GuestIan LivingstoneCofounder and CEO, Keycard
- Guest: Ian Livingstone, Cofounder and CEO of Keycard
- Title: Keycard: 2026 is the Year of Agents
- Show: AI + a16z
- Length: 33 minutes
- Prediction: 2026 will be the year companies rush to get AI agents into production.
- Adoption Trend: Enterprises will adopt AI agents before consumers.
In 2025, we saw the first glimpses of true AI agents. In 2026, every company will be rushing to get them into production, and they’ll need companies like Keycard to manage fleets of agents.
In this conversation, a16z Partner Joel de la Garza sits down with Keycard Cofounder and CEO Ian Livingstone to discuss the continuum from copilots to agents, the security realities of tool-calling, why enterprises will adopt before consumers, and how to control your agents.
Follow Joel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/3448827723723234/
Follow Ian on X: https://x.com/ianlivingstone
Follow Keycard on X: https://x.com/keycardlabs
Learn more about Keycard: https://www.keycard.sh/
Check out everything a16z is doing with artificial intelligence here, including articles, projects, and more podcasts.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
- AI agents
- AI agents
- AI assistants that can perform tasks autonomously.
- tool-calling
- tool-calling
- Allowing AI models to use external software or functions.
- copilots
- copilots
- AI assistants that help users with tasks, but require direct input.
24 minHow AI Is Rewriting the Rules of Cybersecurity | Truffle Security & Socket
WithDylan Ayrey, Feross Aboukhadijeh
47 minInside vLLM: The Engine Powering Open-Source AI
WithSimon Mo
41 minBuilding Self-Accelerating AI with Mirendil
WithBehnam Neyshabur, Harsh Mehta
43 minIdeogram’s Open-Weights Image Model and the Future of AI Design
WithMohammad Norouzi
Questions people ask
- When will AI agents become widespread?
- The episode predicts that 2026 will be the year companies rush to get AI agents into production.
- Who will adopt AI agents first?
- The conversation suggests that enterprises will adopt AI agents before consumers do.
Page generated Oct 19, 2026. Summaries are Subvolts' own; the audio, artwork and notes belong to a16z.