What it Takes to Build | World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026
Brett Taylor and Steven Bartlett discuss the transformative impact of AI on business, highlighting the shift from horizontal to vertical AI agents and the commoditization of software engineering.summaryVertical AI Agents vs. Horizontal Tools: Brett Taylor argues that value lies in specific verticals (e.g., legal tech, customer service) rather than abstract agent-building tools, as the latter will become commodities liktakeawayThey emphasize that while AI lowers the barrier to entry for creation, durable competitive advantages now lie in irreplaceably human content, rapid experimentation, and owning audience data outside of algorithmic platforsummary














