Subvolts take AI agents and orchestration are key; learn what's next for AI systems and builders. Jan 9, 2026 - Developers
- Learn about the practical realities of AI agents, multimodal AI, and the importance of orchestration for building AI systems.
- Business
- Understand how reasoning models and AI orchestration are reshaping workflows and what to expect in AI's evolution.
This episode provides a practical, forward-looking analysis of AI trends and predictions from industry experts.
2025 was the year of agents, what's coming in 2026?
Audio streams from Daniel Whitenack and Chris Benson. Your place is remembered on this device.
From Subvolts
Summary and analysis by Subvolts editorial, AI-assisted.
In this Practical AI episode, hosts Daniel Whitenack and Chris Benson review 2025's AI landscape and predict 2026. They discuss the rise of AI agents, practical multimodal AI, and how reasoning models change workflows. The conversation also covers infrastructure, energy, predictive models, and the growing importance of orchestration over just better models. The episode concludes with grounded predictions for AI systems, tools, and builders.
This episode looks back at what was important in AI last year and guesses what's next for 2026. It covers smart computer programs that can do tasks (agents), AI that understands different kinds of information like text and images, and how to manage these AI tools. It's for people who want to understand how AI is becoming more useful.
This episode offers a grounded look at AI trends, moving beyond hype to practical applications and challenges. It's for AI practitioners, team leads, and anyone building or deploying AI systems. The discussion on agents, multimodal AI, and orchestration connects directly to current work at Google Gemini, OpenAI, and Anthropic, as these labs push the boundaries of AI capabilities and integration into real-world workflows. Understanding these shifts is crucial for staying competitive.
- HostDaniel Whitenack
- HostChris Benson
- Episode Title: 2025 was the year of agents, what's coming in 2026?
- Show: Practical AI
- Hosts: Daniel Whitenack, Chris Benson
- Length: 51 minutes
- Key 2025 Trend: Rise of AI agents
- Key 2026 Skill: Orchestration
Chapters from the publisher ↗ · Transcript ↗ Key moments and transcript search come with a later piece.
In this start-of-year FC episode, Chris and Daniel break down what really mattered in AI in 2025, and what to expect in 2026. They explore the rise of AI agents, the practical reality of multimodal AI, and how reasoning models are reshaping workflows. The conversation dives into infrastructure and energy constraints, the continued value of predictive models, and why orchestration (not just better models) is becoming the defining skill for AI teams. The episode wraps with grounded 2026 predictions on where AI systems, tooling, and builders are headed next.
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- AI agents
- Daniel Whitenack, Chris Benson
- Smart computer programs designed to perform tasks autonomously.
- multimodal AI
- Daniel Whitenack, Chris Benson
- AI that can understand and process different types of information, like text, images, and audio.
- orchestration
- Daniel Whitenack, Chris Benson
- The process of coordinating and managing multiple AI systems or components to work together effectively.
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1 h 49Questions people ask
- What AI trend defined 2025?
- The episode highlights the rise of AI agents as the defining trend of 2025.
- What is the key skill for AI teams in 2026?
- The notes suggest that orchestration, not just better models, will be the defining skill for AI teams.
Page generated Oct 19, 2026. Summaries are Subvolts' own; the audio, artwork and notes belong to Daniel Whitenack and Chris Benson.