What It Means: A Forrester Podcast

Find out how AI is being used by B2B buyers and healthcare consumers, and get the latest forecast on the impact of AI on US jobs.

Happy New Year! We kick off 2026 by unpacking lessons from 2025 and what they signal for the year ahead. This episode brings together security, marketing, and content leaders’ perspectives so you can act with confidence.

The holiday season is in full swing, and as retailers vie for consumer dollars, some of the biggest ones are branching out to answer engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity. In this episode, we describe what that experience looks like now and what brands should do in response. We also look at the lasting implications of a high-profile legal case for CISOs and the state of AI in B2B sales.

In this discussion, Ted Shatler, a VP at Forrester who specializes in AI strategy, shares insights on the challenges of AI adoption and warns that 25% of CIOs may need to intervene in failed AI projects. Tony Plek highlights the staggering potential costs of ungoverned AI in B2B, predicting over $10 billion in losses, while emphasizing the importance of governance and training. Audrey Chee-Reed reveals that one-third of consumers are shifting back to offline experiences post-COVID, suggesting brands focus more on in-person engagements.

Brent Ellis, a principal analyst at Forrester, breaks down the AWS outage, revealing technical failures and the wider implications for industries dependent on cloud services. Kelsey Chickering discusses Meta's new PG-13 guardrails for teens, emphasizing that content filters alone can't tackle greater mental health risks. Stephanie Liu unveils ChatGPT Atlas, an AI-first browser, detailing its innovative features and the privacy concerns it raises as it reshapes web strategy. Together, they navigate the pressing issues in tech today.

Principal Analyst Alla Valente breaks down California’s new AI law, VP and Research Director Chris Gardner discusses the impact of AI models on software development roles, and Principal Analyst Nikhil Lai reviews Best Buy’s “in-store takeover” advertising offering.

Discover the latest shifts in the tech landscape, including a hefty new fee for H-1B visas and its potential impact on U.S. jobs. Explore the concept of agentic commerce, where AI makes purchases on consumers' behalf, and learn how Google's ecosystem supports this new trend. Delve into the evolving role of customer reviews in B2B buying, with insights on optimizing them for AI search. This discussion spans labor markets, innovative payment systems, and the future of commerce in an AI-driven world.

Brian Hopkins, Forrester VP of Emerging Technology, defines AGI as autonomous software that learns across domains. He discusses self-learning models and the implications for workforce strategies. Jay Padasol, Forrester VP and analyst, outlines how AI is transforming agency business models from labor-based services to automated platforms. He highlights concerns among CMOs regarding agency distractions and previews predictions for the agency landscape in 2026, including consolidation trends and the growth of independent firms.

As we move into September, we dig into new sponsorship options for brands and find out how AI agents are impacting the customer success function as well as the industrial manufacturing and supply chain industries.

As we hurtle toward the end of August, it’s time to look toward the future. More specifically, the future of Anthropic (and other AI firms), the future of AI as a technology, and the future of the CMO role.