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This week my CMO asked our team:
What is coming up in client conversations that you wish all data and AI leaders understood in October 2026? And the floodgates opened.
We've narrowed it down to 5 topics:
- Vendor lock. This isn't new, but we are starting to see it happen in AI more and more, especially as models change (and disappear, more on that in #2)
- AI models change constantly. AI models aren't like Windows software. Models change in real time and can be deprecated (killed) with little to no warning.
- Privacy Policies only exists for companies who can't afford to pay the fine.
- Chain of renting. The cost of tokens isn't determined by one company setting the price. When everyone is renting cloud, compute, and hardware from each other, one pricing change can cause a chain reaction.
- Bot traffic has overtaken human-user traffic. Is your website or application AI-agent ready?
Over the next 5 weeks, we'll discuss what you need to know about each topic in order to make better data and AI decisions across your organization.
Have a specific question on one of these topics? Hit reply and let us know.
Become Highly Technical in 2 Minutes a Week
Digital Duplication
If you Google "Digital Duplication with AI," you'll likely find a Forbes article on "How to Create an AI Clone of Yourself."
But in our conversations with clients, digital duplication means something different. Digital duplication is making an AI native app that does the same thing as your current company.
It's a good thing if you're the one making it. It means you're moving faster, more profitable and more attractive to investors and customers.
It's a horrible thing if you've not done it and someone shows up in your industry that has.
This is the boogeyman we've been warning you about for over three years.
AI-native companies have the potential to rewire entire industries, while legacy companies can take 18-months to deploy one AI project.
Ask yourself:
How long would it actually take a new competitor to rebuild (duplicate) our app, software or solution with AI? 2 years? 18 months? 6 months?
Could a brand new competitor digitally duplicate your business in less time than your dev team's waitlist for pushing to production?
Today we challenge you to zoom out and consider:
- Is our tech debt worth fixing?
- Will our piecemeal systems hold-up in the age of AI?
- Is it worth digitally duplicating our systems now, to move fast tomorrow?
There isn't a right "one size fits all" answer.
We're not here to tell you AI is the only way. We are here to help you identify and understand all your options.
When you're ready for a partner who will help you determine which projects are worth doing (and which project are not worth doing), help you build the ones that are, and train your people to run it, give us a call.
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Around the Data and AI World
America.gov
"Every federal agency, working together."
I never thought I'd see the day.
With hundreds of government agencies, across federal and state jurisdictions, it's no surprise that most systems don't talk to each other.
You fill in a form on one site, and then have to manually fill in the same information across any government agency. Sometimes twice within the same agency.
And while America.gov isn't fixing the double paperwork problem - yet - it is making it easier to find the form in the first place.
According to the site that was released on Tuesday:
Instead of navigating the maze of websites, you ask questions in your own words, and you get official answers back instantly. There are no menus to learn or forms to hunt down.
America.gov replaces the websites Americans spend billions of hours searching, with a single experience that is effortless, fast, and organized around you. Just ask, and government answers.
The site suggests asking all sorts of questions from "How do I find a job?" to "How do I get a passport for my child?" and "How do I book a campsite at a national park?"
However, according to answers America.gov gave reporters at the AP, it cannot answer “political questions.”
Test America.gov for yourself!
My main takeaway? This initiate shows digital duplication to become AI native has potential even at a scale of 29,000 websites and sources. Schedule a call with our team to learn if becoming AI native through digital duplication is the next step for your organization.
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FTC Investigation and Self-Policing
Also on Tuesday, while AI leaders were at the White house, they "signed a 'constitution' to police themselves."
According to House Speaker Mike Johnson:
"This is a statement of principles that you'll see, a statement of standards, commitments that are voluntary on behalf of the industry. It sets forth expectations. It's in short summary, robust internal controls and layers of internal and external review. That's important because you need people to be providing oversight and transparency, and that's what these leaders are going to do." While "The White House Accord on Superintelligence: A Joint Commitment on Frontier SI Responsibilities" is "morally binding," the administration also noted it is "thinking about forming a committee of sorts" to oversee AI.
One day later, the WSJ reported the FTC has opened an investigation into Anthropic and OpenAI.
After repeated claims by leadership at both companies that AI could wipe out humanity, the FTC is using its "broad consumer-protection powers that allow it to investigate companies for unfair or deceptive acts or practices" to investigate the claims.
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JOb Board
The Omaha Data Science Academy is filling two paid internship positions with MAC Chamber
Role 1: Gala Toy-Drive Data & Operations System
Role objective:
Build a simple, reliable operating system for the 1,000-toy campaign so MAC can see what has been requested, donated, received, stored, assigned, and distributed - without depending on manual notes or disconnected spreadsheets.
MAC Chamber is seeking a Data Analyst or Business Intelligence intern for this role.
Role 2: Glue Up CRM Cleanup & Impact Reporting
Role Objective:
Improve MAC's membership and program data by recovering usable legacy records, cleaning the current Glue Up database, correcting renewal logic, and implementing practical tracking and reporting recommendations from the Wells Fargo capacity-building work.
MAC Chamber is seeking a Data Engineer, Data Analyst, or Business Intelligence intern for this role.
If you would like to be considered for either internship, email ODSA President Krystal Rider at krystal.rider@canlearnsmart.com with:
- Subject line: MAC Chamber Internship
- Which role you are applying for
- Attach your resume
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Welcome to Q4.
If your 2026 data and AI initiatives didn't go how you excepted this year, it's not too late to turn them around (or too early to think through how to create better results in 2027.)
Schedule a call with our team today.
Now get out there, and do the thing that's worth doing,
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NATE WATSON
CEO, Contemporary Analysis
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