A Dialog with Exactly CEO Josh Rogers
AI has moved from experimentation to a high precedence within the boardroom. But for a lot of organizations, significant return on funding (ROI) stays frustratingly out of attain. As organizations shift their focus towards Agentic AI—techniques that may autonomously make selections and take motion—a more durable reality is rising. The information that AI is determined by isn’t prepared. It’s usually fragmented, outdated, and troublesome to belief at scale.
On this Q&A, Exactly CEO Josh Rogers shares his views on why companies have struggled to maneuver AI from pilot packages to enterprise implementation, what has essentially modified as organizations transfer towards Agentic AI, and why information integrity has grow to be a strategic crucial. He additionally outlines the significance of achieving Agentic-Prepared Knowledge and the way forward-thinking organizations are positioning themselves to show AI right into a aggressive benefit.
McKinsey has reported that whereas AI adoption is widespread, most initiatives fail to ship significant bottom-line impression.1 Out of your perspective, what’s holding organizations again from scaling AI into actual enterprise worth?
AI funding has moved extremely quick, however most organizations have struggled to maneuver from experimentation into full manufacturing. Some have achieved smaller productiveness features, which is beneficial, however incremental features is not going to maintain tempo with the extent of funding being made, nor will they essentially change how the enterprise operates on the scale AI is supposed to ship.
The larger subject is information. In our 2026 State of Knowledge Integrity and AI Readiness report, of the greater than 500 senior information and analytics leaders surveyed, 43% cite information readiness as probably the most vital barrier to AI alignment with enterprise targets.2 AI techniques mirror the information they’re given. And for many firms, that information is fragmented, incomplete, outdated, inconsistent, or poorly ruled. When AI is fed information that lacks accuracy, consistency, and context, the output doesn’t translate into sustainable enterprise worth and, the truth is, can create vital threat.
What essentially modifications when organizations transfer from AI experimentation to Agentic AI?
Agentic AI represents a shift from help to motion. These techniques don’t simply analyze data, they make and act on selections, in actual time.
This modifications the whole lot. When AI begins influencing or making selections, at enterprise scale, there isn’t any room for uncertainty. You want confidence that the information the AI system is utilizing meets the best high quality and governance requirements. That’s the second many organizations understand their present information basis merely is just not constructed for what comes subsequent.
You’ve launched the idea of the “Agentic AI Knowledge Integrity Hole.” What’s it, and why ought to govt groups care?
The Agentic AI Knowledge Integrity Hole is the widening hole between what Agentic AI requires and the truth of enterprise information right this moment. Most organizations nonetheless function with information that’s arduous to entry, fragmented throughout hybrid environments and legacy techniques, lacks context, displays a backward-looking view or is outdated, and is pricey to handle manually. This creates blind spots, limits scale, and makes it troublesome for techniques to make correct, autonomous selections.
Executives want to know this problem as a result of it isn’t a technical subject, it’s a strategic one. If this hole is just not addressed, AI funding will stall, belief will erode, and it’ll impair the group’s skill to scale. It will end in failed initiatives and an lack of ability to appreciate the ROI that AI can carry when applied in alignment with the precise processes and high-quality, trusted, ruled information.
How ought to leaders be rethinking their information technique in gentle of Agentic AI?
Leaders want to maneuver past fascinated about information as an IT-owned asset and begin treating it as a core operational basis for the enterprise. The query is now not whether or not information is correct, however whether or not it is able to help real-time, autonomous decision-making.
Organizations that succeed would be the ones that align their information technique on to how they need the enterprise to function in an Agentic AI world. This implies constructing a method primarily based on the core components of information integrity—accuracy, consistency, and context. What they want is Agentic-Prepared Knowledge, purpose-built to help autonomous techniques at enterprise scale.
Closing the information integrity hole with agentic-ready information.
What does “Agentic-Prepared Knowledge” really imply in follow, not in concept?
Agentic-Prepared Knowledge is the best high quality information that’s built-in throughout techniques and enriched with the context AI must function confidently. It’s constantly up to date and properly ruled so selections are explainable, traceable, and compliant, supporting AI, automation, and analytics initiatives throughout the enterprise.
Simply as vital, it’s manageable. It doesn’t depend on heavy handbook processes or specialised expertise to keep up. When information reaches that state, organizations can belief their AI techniques to function at enterprise scale and ship actual enterprise worth.
Why is information integrity such a essential basis for Agentic AI and what makes Exactly uniquely positioned right here?
Agentic AI raises the bar for belief. When AI techniques are making selections, the integrity of the underlying information turns into non-negotiable. Leaders must know the place the information comes from, the way it’s being formed, and whether or not it’s match for goal in that second. With out that basis, organizations both restrict what AI can do or expose themselves to unacceptable threat.
Exactly is uniquely positioned as a result of information integrity is just not one thing we added not too long ago in response to AI. It’s our core experience. For extra practically 60 years , we’ve helped over 12,000 clients, together with a number of the world’s main enterprises combine, enrich, govern, and operationalize information throughout advanced, hybrid environments.
That experience, mixed with our software program, information, and information technique consulting companies, places us in a singular place to assist organizations shut the Agentic AI Knowledge Integrity Hole in a method that no different firm can.
You speak about maximizing context and utilization whereas minimizing effort. Why do these matter a lot in terms of execution?
As organizations transfer towards Agentic AI, success relies upon much less on mannequin sophistication and extra on whether or not information integrity may be executed at scale to maximise context, maximize utilization, and decrease effort. A unified information basis, enriched with authoritative third-party and site intelligence and supported by sustained information high quality provides a extra full view by eliminating blind spots and permitting AI techniques to purpose with confidence.
It’s simply as vital that trusted information can be utilized wherever selections are made. When information integrity logic is outlined as soon as and utilized persistently throughout advanced hybrid environments, organizations can ship the precise information, in the precise context, on the proper time. Constructed-in governance additionally ensures AI operates responsibly at scale, turning governance from a constraint into an enabler of innovation.
Lastly, information integrity should scale with out changing into a value or complexity drawback. Automation, AI-driven steerage, and interoperable, modular companies scale back handbook effort and speed up time to worth. This permits organizations to begin the place they’re right this moment and scale at their very own tempo.
That’s the position the Exactly Knowledge Integrity Suite performs. It brings these capabilities collectively as interoperable SaaS companies on a typical basis, enabling Agentic-Prepared Knowledge throughout environments whereas decreasing handbook effort by means of AI-driven automation. And thru our Knowledge Hyperlink associate community, clients can simply combine complementary third-party datasets alongside Exactly information, unlocking richer insights and higher outcomes with far much less effort.
What do you see data-leading organizations doing right this moment that others usually are not?
The organizations which are getting it proper are aligning information initiatives on to enterprise outcomes—not simply analytics or reporting.
They’re investing in foundations that help real-time decision-making. They’re treating governance as an enabler, not a constraint. When governance matures, company follows. While you construct readability and belief into your processes, you unlock the flexibility to behave decisively, dramatically, and with outcomes that final.
And most significantly, they acknowledge that information integrity is just not a one-time mission. It’s an ongoing functionality that should evolve because the enterprise evolves.
When you might depart govt groups with one takeaway as they consider Agentic AI investments in 2026 and past, what wouldn’t it be?
AI is not going to ship significant impression and not using a information basis constructed for autonomy.
The organizations that win would be the ones that make investments now in Agentic-Prepared Knowledge, treating it like a strategic crucial, not a pleasant to have. The information integrity hole is a threat right this moment and can rapidly grow to be a legal responsibility for individuals who fail to handle it.
This isn’t about chasing the following AI software. It’s about constructing the belief, context, and operational readiness required to show AI right into a sturdy benefit for the enterprise.
Sources:
1. Quantum Black AI by McKinsey
2. 2026 State of Knowledge Integrity and AI Readiness
