Trend Trend 1: measuring the return on AI agents becomes a moving target

Summary

The first trend in CB Insights' 2026 outlook is that the return on AI agents has become a moving target. Agent value appears in places that conventional measurement struggles to capture, so firms need new tools just to see where impact lands. Measurement is maturing first in software engineering, where analytics platforms track AI-written code. A newer group of products aims further, helping enterprises spot automation opportunities, follow their spending and quantify impact outside engineering teams. Process intelligence platforms are also being extended to measure outcomes across wider enterprise workflows. Together these tools form an emerging layer whose purpose is to keep pace with how agents actually change work.