Episode 101: The State of AI in 2026

In Episode 101 of the Cloud Architects Podcast, we welcome Microsoft AI MVP James Westall for a candid “state of the nation” discussion on AI in 2026. Moving beyond the LLM hype of 2024 and the agent frenzy of 2025, the conversation explores what’s actually delivering value for organizations today and what isn’t. We unpack common pitfalls like oversold expectations, poor use case selection, and the challenge of measuring ROI, while highlighting practical success stories. We also tackle model “religion wars,” cost realities, developer productivity, and the importance of strategy and governance.

James Westall is the Victorian Sales Manager and an Account Executive at Arinco, a leading Microsoft partner and cloud solutions provider. He has multiple years of experience in helping organizations adopt Microsoft 365 and Azure solutions, with a focus on cybersecurity, cloud native technology, and DevOps practices.

As a Microsoft MVP, Solutions Architect, and AWS Cloud Practitioner, he has a deep technical knowledge and a passion for securing Azure Cloud infrastructure and responding to cybersecurity incidents. He also maintains a blog where he share his insights and tips on Azure security and DevOps. James loves working with customers who are looking for innovative and efficient ways to leverage the cloud and achieve their business goals. You can connect with James on LinkedIn

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