AI hasn’t just changed how startups build; it’s broken how they sell, secure their data and customers, and scale it more rapidly than ever before. At TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, the AI Stage is back to dig into the single hottest topic in the community for the past few years, presented by Google for Startups. This time around, we’re exploring the business models AI is rewriting, the wealth of unsolved security gaps, and the entirely new job categories AI has created from scratch.
From October 13–15 in San Francisco at Moscone Center, join leaders from across the AI industry as they get into the real questions founders are facing right now. We’re talking about the matter of how to price AI products when models become commoditized, why agent security has to be rebuilt from the infrastructure up, and what it actually means to have a go-to-market plan in an AI-native world.
We’re also closing in on the end of our current pricing window, so your chance to save up to $300 is ending soon, so grab your ticket here before it’s gone. Without further ado, let’s see what’s on deck for the AI Stage, with more announcements to come:
The Enterprise Isn’t Broken. Your Assumptions About It Are.
AI is now making autonomous decisions inside the most sensitive enterprise systems in the world, at a speed traditional security frameworks weren’t built for. This session breaks down what enterprise AI security actually requires in 2026 — from observability and governance to the architecture that separates deployments enterprises can trust from ones they can’t afford to touch.
With Arsalan Tavakoli, Co-founder and SVP of Field Engineering, Databricks
The Video Intelligence Race: Real-Time, Reasoning, and What Comes Next
Visual AI has moved past attention-getting demos into real-time inference and physical reasoning. Founders building at the frontier discuss what happens when generation crosses into genuine intelligence.
With Dean Leitersdorf, Co-founder and CEO, Decart, and Amit Jain, Co-founder and CEO, Luma AI
The GTM Engineer: How AI Created Tech’s Next Big Job Category
GTM engineering didn’t exist two years ago — now it’s one of the fastest-growing roles in tech, with independent practitioners building million-dollar businesses. Walk away knowing what AI-native GTM looks like in practice and how it’s reshaping growth.
With Kareem Amin, Co-founder and CEO, Clay
Whether you’re rethinking your pricing model, closing the security gaps in your AI stack, or building the go-to-market playbook that doesn’t exist yet, the AI Stage is where the builders shaping this next wave get specific.
Plus, you’ll be doing all this alongside 10,000+ startup, tech, and VC leaders, with access to every other stage, Startup Battlefield, a wealth of networking opportunities, and the exhibition floor. Register today!
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