GoKawiilOp-ed argues enterprise AI needs a 'PageRank moment' to own intelligence, not rent models
A commentary piece draws a parallel between today's enterprise AI landscape and the pre-Google search market of the late 1990s, when engines like AltaVista and portals like Yahoo! competed mainly on capturing user attention for advertising. The author argues current enterprise AI is built on rented foundation models rather than proprietary intelligence, and calls for a breakthrough akin to Google's PageRank that would let companies own their AI advantage rather than lease it.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The analogy suggests that today's reliance on third-party foundation models could leave companies without a durable competitive edge, much as early search services lost out once Google's superior underlying technology emerged. This framing implies, according to the author, that the next major shift in enterprise AI may come from whoever develops a defensible, proprietary method of generating business intelligence rather than simply layering applications on rented models. It remains the author's interpretation rather than an established market outcome.
- The piece compares current enterprise AI vendors to pre-Google search engines that lacked a defensible technological edge.
- It argues most enterprise AI today depends on rented foundation models rather than owned intelligence.
- The author calls for an innovation equivalent to PageRank that would let companies control their AI capabilities outright.
Source: fastcompany.com, 2026-10-31
Published there as: “Enterprise AI is waiting for its PageRank moment”
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