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In this annual predictions spectacular, Amith Nagarajan and Mallory Mejias kick off 2026 by looking back at how well their 2025 AI forecasts held up (spoiler: pretty darn well) and then boldly lay out what’s coming next for artificial intelligence, associations, and knowledge work. From real-world AI recruiting agents and voice-first interfaces to the rise of AI literacy as a job requirement, the shift from SEO to AEO, and the very real possibility of AI-native platforms disrupting traditional associations, this episode is packed with practical insight and big-picture thinking. Whether you’re an association leader or just trying to stay ahead of the curve, this conversation is both a wake-up call and a roadmap for making 2026 the year you move from experimenting with AI to truly leading with it.

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🛠 AI Tools and Resources Mentioned in This Episode

Gemini 3 Pro ➔ https://deepmind.google/technologies/gemini/
Claude Haiku 4.5 ➔ https://www.anthropic.com
ElevenLabs ➔ https://elevenlabs.io
ChatGPT ➔ https://chat.openai.com
Sora 2 ➔ https://openai.com/sora
Veo 3 ➔ https://deepmind.google/technologies/veo/
NotebookLM ➔ https://notebooklm.google
Gamma ➔ https://gamma.app

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Amith Nagarajan is the Chairman of Blue Cypress, a family of purpose-driven companies and proud practitioners of Conscious Capitalism. The Blue Cypress companies focus on helping associations, non-profits, and other purpose-driven organizations achieve long-term success. Amith is also an active early-stage investor in B2B SaaS companies. He’s had the good fortune of nearly three decades of success as an entrepreneur and enjoys helping others in their journey.

https://linkedin.com/amithnagarajan

Mallory Mejias is passionate about creating opportunities for association professionals to learn, grow, and better serve their members using artificial intelligence. She enjoys blending creativity and innovation to produce fresh, meaningful content for the association space. Mallory co-hosts and produces the Sidecar Sync podcast, where she delves into the latest trends in AI and technology, translating them into actionable insights.

https://linkedin.com/mallorymejias