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Top 10 Things Overheard at the Think! AI Summit

By Jonathan Kersting

This year’s Think!AI Summit felt like a turning point. Not because someone unveiled a dazzling new model. But because the conversation shifted. 

One phrase kept popping up: “AI is overhyped and undersold.” And for once, it didn’t sound cynical. It sounded honest. Yes, AI has been marketed like magic. At the same time, many organizations are barely scratching its real operational value. The gap isn’t technology. It’s execution. 

Another strong theme: Agents shouldn’t replace people. Instead, Think!AI championed the Operator in the Loop model. AI should recommend, not decide. Co-pilot, not autopilot. The goal isn’t fewer humans. It’s more capable ones. 

After nearly a full day immersed at the Summit, I thought that it would be appropriate to whip up a Top-10 Things Overheard at the 2026 Think!AI Summit (with a little help from Chat GPT of course):

  1. “We built the model… now we’re trying to figure out what problem it solves.” 
    (Honesty is the new innovation.) 

  1. “It works great in the demo. In production… it gets emotional.” 
    Apparently, so does everyone else. 

  1. “Our AI is amazing. Our data is… in therapy.” 
    Healing takes time. 

  1. “We don’t need more dashboards. We need fewer excuses.” 
    Standing ovation. Quietly. 

  1. “It’s not ‘human vs. AI.’ It’s ‘human plus AI… minus chaos.’” 
    The unofficial slogan of the summit. 

  1. “We automated it. Then we hired three people to manage the automation.” 
    Progress, with paperwork. 

  1. “We’re in pilot number seven. This one feels different.” 
    It always does. 

  1. “Our biggest risk isn’t the algorithm. It’s adoption.” 
    Culture remains undefeated. 

  1. “If no one trusts it, it’s just very expensive math.” 
    Put that on a t-shirt. 

  1. “Outcomes first. Tools second. Ego never.” 
    ThinkAI, distilled. 

Check out all of the awesome pics for the Summit right here.