From Capability to Judgment: Jaspreet Bindra on AI’s Defining Shift from 2025 to 2026

As artificial intelligence moves from experimentation to execution, the conversation is no longer about what AI can do, but about how it will reshape work, judgment and society at scale. In an exclusive interaction with The Hans India, Mr Jaspreet Bindra, Co-founder of AI&Beyond, reflects on AI’s journey from 2025 to 2026—why agentic systems became the defining shift of the past year, what the rise of the Reasoning Web means for the future of the internet, and why the next phase of AI will demand more wisdom from humans, not less.

You’ve described 2025 as the year AI “grew hands.” What do you mean by that?

If 2024 was the year AI learned to talk, 2025 was when it learned to act. This was the year AI decisively moved beyond demos and pilots into execution, autonomy and scale. The focus shifted from using AI tools to building AI agents—systems that don’t just advise humans but execute multi-step workflows across enterprise software. “Agentic AI” replaced “Generative AI” as the dominant paradigm, and AI began behaving less like an assistant and more like a junior colleague.

How significant was this shift for enterprises?

It was a moment of reckoning. Enterprises stopped indulging vanity pilots and started demanding measurable ROI. AI adoption became the default rather than the exception. Coding emerged as the first truly scaled use case, with tools like Claude, Cursor and Copilot generating over 40 percent of new enterprise code. As a result, the role of the software engineer began to change—from writing every line of code to designing systems and supervising machine labour. As Jensen Huang memorably put it, we are becoming HR managers for software agents.

What foundational changes were happening beneath the surface in 2025?

The physical foundations of AI were being laid. The “atoms for algorithms” movement saw Big Tech revive nuclear energy to power gigawatt-scale data centres. AI didn’t just reshape software; it began reconfiguring global energy infrastructure. At the same time, China quietly dominated 2025 by focusing on applications, open-source leadership and energy abundance, rather than loudly proclaiming AGI timelines. Once again, ownership of open source proved to be a long-term strategic advantage.

2025 also exposed some of AI’s darker edges. What stood out for you?

Several things. Deepfakes emerged as a serious threat to democratic processes around the world. AI companions raised uncomfortable questions about loneliness, dependency and human connection. The industry also hit a hard data wall, forcing a pivot toward synthetic data. Despite these challenges, Google ended the year as an unlikely AI king, leveraging its full-stack advantage across chips, models, data and distribution.

You’ve said that if 2025 was about capability, 2026 will be about judgment. Why is judgment the key theme now?

Because raw intelligence is no longer the constraint. We are entering what I call the Age of the Reasoning Web, where search engines become answer engines and AI browsers synthesize knowledge instead of sending users to blue links. This will force a reinvention of the web’s economic model—or risk killing the very creators AI depends on. In this phase, judgment—how we design, deploy and govern AI—will matter far more than sheer capability.

How will AI agents evolve in 2026?

Agents will move from copilots to colleagues. They will quietly run entire workflows under light human supervision. The emphasis will be less on flashy demos and more on invisible, reliable automation that actually works at scale. Humans will remain in the loop, but increasingly as decision-makers and supervisors rather than operators.

You’ve also spoken about AI “getting a body.” What does that mean in practical terms?

2026 will be the year physical AI truly scales. Robots and autonomous systems will move beyond labs and pilots into warehouses, factories and city streets. Waymo’s expansion across cities and continents is a strong signal that embodied intelligence is no longer speculative—it’s operational and economically viable.

Do you expect turbulence in the AI market as we move into 2026?

There will be a correction in AI valuations, but not a collapse. The technology is real, the infrastructure is deep, and the cash flows are strong. What will rise instead is the human premium. As AI-generated content floods the internet, verified human creativity, judgment and authentic connection will become increasingly valuable—almost luxury goods.

What does this transition mean for India?

For India, 2026 could be a defining moment. We’ll see progress in sovereign AI infrastructure, an explosion of vernacular content, and GPU access that finally feels real rather than theoretical. If 2025 showed us what AI can do, 2026 will force India—and the world—to decide how we live, work and govern alongside it.

How would you sum up AI’s journey from 2025 to 2026?

The age of raw intelligence is behind us. The age of wisdom begins now.