by Shannon Katschilo, Country Manager of Canada at Snowflake
Across organizations, AI has moved from the hands of tech specialists into the rhythm of everyday work. It’s helping marketing teams see which channels are driving conversions, shaping how sales teams prepare for customer meetings and pull competitive insights in seconds, and ultimately informing decisions in the C-suite.
Underscoring this rise in adoption, findings in McKinsey’s latest 2025 State of AI survey shows that 88% of companies are now using AI in at least one business function, up from 78% from the year before.
Now, as we head into 2026, two closely linked shifts are defining the next evolution of AI adoption. The first shift creates access. The second turns that access into action:
1. Data is being democratized, putting usable insights into the hands of employees at every level.
2. Intelligent AI agents are expanding far beyond IT, changing how sales, marketing, and all teams operate, by acting on connected and trusted data.
For B2B leaders, these shifts matter. Organizations that recognize and act on them will spot opportunities sooner, giving them a competitive advantage and clearer value from their AI investments.
The democratization of data
For years, non-technical teams relied on analysts and dashboards to make data usable. Now, with tools like conversational analytics, a customer service rep can pull real-time answers about purchasing history, inventory, or product guidance in plain language without waiting for a report.
In sales, reps can ask how their numbers are trending and get clear answers instantly, without digging through CRM fields or spreadsheets. Marketing teams can check how campaigns are performing without jumping between platforms. And IT teams can spot system issues earlier and automate common support requests. As data becomes democratized, the definition of “AI upskilling” is evolving. It’s not about understanding how AI models work. It’s about judging whether the data is reliable, whether the insight fits the business context, and then determining how to act on it.
Interestingly, this evolving definition of upskilling is showing up in how workers feel. KPMG’s 2025 Generative AI Adoption Index shows that while 80% say AI helps them thrive, 83% feel pressure to upskill to keep pace. The key for B2B leaders is making data and AI tools easy and accessible for non technical teams to confidently use in their daily workflows so they can truly thrive and move from “what AI can do” to “why it matters” without feeling overwhelmed.
Agents are the future, but their potential is shackled without exceptional data
A growing number of companies are seeing what happens when data becomes something anyone can use, not just analysts. Fanatics, the global sports platform, is one example. The company uses Snowflake Intelligence, a ready-to-use agentic application with an intuitive, conversational interface that lets technical and non-technical users access data and deep insights. Instead of waiting for reports, Fanatics team members can explore the data directly, get a unified view of each fan’s preferences to deliver more tailored experiences, move faster on decisions, and enhance collaboration across teams.
How leaders prepare for an agent-driven future
Intelligent agents have the potential to really streamline workflows and improve how teams operate, but their impact depends entirely on the quality of the data they draw from. Without a governed, high-quality data foundation, even the smartest agent becomes a novelty rather than a strategic tool.
To build a strong foundation and move forward confidently:
1. Get your data house in order with clean and governed data.
2. Focus on interoperability by breaking down silos so agents can access complete data and information.
3. Set strong guardrails that protect privacy, reinforce security, and ensure compliance.
4. Upskill teams by focusing on using AI to support context and decision-making rather than technical training.
5. Start with narrow, high-impact use cases. For example, sales forecasting, lead qualification, and campaign diagnostics.
The B2B leaders who will lead in this next evolution of AI are the ones that do two things well: give every team meaningful access to AI and the confidence to use it, and build the data foundation that allows agents to deliver real impact. These are the organizations preparing their teams (and their data) for what comes next.
Shannon Katschilo currently serves as the Country Manager of Canada at Snowflake. Katschilo brings over 15 years of client connection-building and employee stewardship to her role, scaling Snowflake’s presence in the market and taking a data-first approach to improving experiences at all levels of operation.
