Welcome everyone to 2026! Let’s jump straight to the punchline: 2026 is the year the "sandbox" phase of Generative AI ends for the enterprise. For the last two years, vendors, providers, and executives have talked about what AI could do. As 2025 came to a close, and into 2026, the conversation has shifted to what AI must do, and more importantly, how we ensure it doesn't accidentally hand over the keys to the kingdom while doing it.
The Hidden Risks of the Chatbot Explosion
I recently had the pleasure of joining the team over at the Software Sales Simplified podcast to dig into this exact topic. We talked about the "Agentic" shift - where AI isn't just answering questions but taking actions. While that’s a massive win for productivity, it introduces a whole new layer of business logic risk. We also break down why understanding that generative AI, doesn't replace technology, but people is a critical mindset when defining guardrails that actually empower your sales and customer success teams rather than slowing them down.
If you haven’t had a chance to listen yet, check out the episode here. Some key takeaways to look for:
Next Stop: NYC for NRF 2026
There is no industry where generative AI is delivering real value more consistently then in Retail. And like the early cloud days, the tension between getting things out in into production and security is palpable. From personalized shopping agents to automated supply chain decisions, the data flows are massive and the stakes are even higher.
That’s why we’re heading to New York City for NRF 2026: Retail’s Big Show from January 11th to 13th.
If you’re attending, I’d love to grab a coffee (or a very strong espresso) and talk about your AI roadmap for the year. You can find the Generative Security team at Booth 610. We won’t just be talking about technical controls; we’ll be talking about how to make security a strategic ally that helps you ship AI value faster.
What should you do now?
Here’s to a secure, innovative, and fast-moving 2026. See you in the Big Apple!
If you want to dive deeper into generative AI, jump ahead to other conversations around governance and agentic security, or connect with us about helping you achieve this transformation, please reach out to questions@generativesecurity.ai.
About the author
Michael Wasielewski is the founder and lead of Generative Security. With 20+ years of experience in networking, security, cloud, and enterprise architecture Michael brings a unique perspective to new technologies. Working on generative AI security for the past 2 years, Michael connects the dots between the organizational, the technical, and the business impacts of generative AI security. Michael looks forward to spending more time golfing, swimming in the ocean, and skydiving... someday.
