AI This Month, This Year, This Decade — 36Kr WAVES 2026 Roundtable
China — At 36Kr's flagship WAVES 2026 conference, a powerhouse roundtable brought together AI founders, investors, and researchers for a candid conversation titled "AI This Month, This Year, This Decade." The discussion offered a rare, unfiltered look at where the AI industry stands and where it's heading.
Moderated by a senior 36Kr editor, the panel featured CEOs from leading AI startups, partners from top-tier VC firms, and a prominent AI researcher. The conversation spanned three time horizons — the immediate tactical landscape, the medium-term strategic outlook, and the long-term transformative potential of AI.
This Month: The Reality Check
Panelists agreed that 2026 marks a "reality check" for AI startups. With foundation model costs stabilizing and enterprise adoption accelerating, the winners are those who can demonstrate clear ROI. VCs on the panel noted that they're seeing fewer pitches for "AI for AI's sake" and more for targeted vertical solutions.
This Year: Key Trends
Several trends dominated the medium-term discussion: AI Agents moving from demo to deployment in enterprise workflows; multi-modal models becoming the default for new applications; edge AI enabling on-device intelligence without cloud dependency; and AI regulation beginning to shape product roadmaps.
📈 Investor Sentiment
VCs reported that AI startup valuations have stabilized after the correction of 2025. The new normal: 8-12× ARR for SaaS AI companies with strong margins, down from the 20-30× multiples seen during the 2023-2024 AI boom. "Healthy corrections make for healthy companies," one partner noted.
This Decade: The Long View
Looking toward 2030, panelists painted an ambitious picture. AI is expected to be embedded in every enterprise software purchase, with "AI-native" companies — those built from day one with AI at their core — outperforming incumbents that add AI as an afterthought. The panel's consensus? The most valuable AI companies of 2030 haven't been founded yet.
Source: Sina Finance / 36Kr WAVES 2026 via Baidu News. This article was researched using the Last30days AI skill.