Industrial automation

How AI Will Reshape The Economy In 2026 (a16z Big Ideas)

How AI Will Reshape The Economy In 2026 (a16z Big Ideas)

Experts from a16z forecast three major AI-driven shifts for 2026. Ryan McEntush discusses the rise of the 'electro-industrial stack' and the need for a U.S. ecosystem to power modern industry. Angela Strange explains how financial services are at a tipping point, with AI-native platforms unifying data to unlock massive efficiency gains. Sarah Wang predicts that a 'dynamic agent layer' will overtake traditional systems of record, fundamentally changing enterprise software by directly translating user intent into action.

The U.S. Can’t Build AI Without These Materials

The U.S. Can’t Build AI Without These Materials

The Western mining industry is broken, hampered by a talent drain, slow technology adoption, and misaligned incentives. A new, vertically integrated, software-first approach leveraging Reinforcement Learning (RL) and LLMs can build and operate mines and refineries faster, cheaper, and more flexibly, addressing critical geopolitical supply chain risks.