Above the Noise

In a single 48-hour stretch, Microsoft announced seven in-house frontier AI models and their own GitHub division flipped Copilot to token billing — sending some users from $29 a month to $750. The universe basically scripted this episode of the build-versus-buy debate. The tested take from someone who builds enterprise AI for a living: this isn't one decision, it's three — and almost every failed AI program made one call instead of three.This episode of Above the Noise — the unbiased AI brief for enterprise leaders:News Brief: Microsoft Build 2026 — the MAI in-house model family, and why the largest AI buyer on Earth deciding to build at only the foundation layer tells you exactly where the build line is for the rest of us · GitHub Copilot moves to token billing (users seeing 10–50× cost jumps) — the "buy" side's hidden tax: you don't own the pricing model · Ignore pile — SAP Sapphire's "Autonomous Enterprise" and its €100M partner-payment fund.Deep Dive — Build vs. Buy: The three-layer cut (model / platform / workflow) that fixes the conversation. MIT NANDA: vendor-led wins 67% vs. 22–33% for pure internal builds. Build cost: $300K–$1.5M+ upfront + 20–30% annual maintenance, forever. Plus the four taxes every spreadsheet undercounts — and why the right answer in 2026 is almost always hybrid.Expose a Lie: "If we build it in-house, we own it." Steelmanned, then dismantled. When you build, you don't own the AI — you own the obligation to keep it alive. Maintenance bill, model-aging risk, governance liability, talent risk, all on you. Plus the data-moat sub-myth that drives half of build proposals.🔗 Show Notes & SourcesEvery stat in this episode is sourced. Check the work yourself:News Brief — Microsoft Build 2026 (MAI models)Microsoft unveils seven homegrown AI models in new bid for 'long term self-sufficiency' (GeekWire, Jun 2 2026)Microsoft Build 2026: 7 Biggest AI Announcements You Need to Know (Memeburn)At Build 2026, Mustafa Suleyman finally revealed Microsoft's AI moves (Digit)"Anthropic Is Extremely Expensive, Many Are Urgently Looking For Alternatives" — Mustafa Suleyman (OfficeChai)News Brief — GitHub Copilot token billing flip'What a joke': GitHub Copilot's new token-based billing spurs consternation among devs (TechCrunch, May 30 2026)GitHub Copilot is moving to usage-based billing (GitHub Blog)GitHub Copilot Pricing Change Drives Backlash: Agentic Bills Jump 10x to 50x for Power Users (TechTimes, Jun 1 2026)Microsoft Switches GitHub Copilot To Usage-based AI Token Billing (Dataconomy, Jun 1 2026)News Brief — SAP Sapphire 2026 (ignore pile)SAP Unveils the Autonomous Enterprise (SAP News, May 2026)2026 SAP Sapphire Keynote: Powering the Autonomous Enterprise (SAP News)SAP Sapphire 2026: SAP makes its case it should be your autonomous enterprise platform (Constellation Research)Deep Dive — Build vs BuyMIT report: 95% of generative AI pilots at companies are failing (Fortune, Aug 18 2025)Build vs Buy Enterprise AI in 2026: Costs, Success Rates, and Hybrid Strategies (Octopus Builds)Build vs Buy for Enterprise AI in 2026: A Decision Framework for Buyers Who Need Results (Just Think AI)The State of AI in the Enterprise 2026 (Deloitte)Gartner Says Applying Uniform Governance Across AI Agents Will Lead to Enterprise AI Agent Failure (Gartner, May 26 2026)Gartner Predicts Over 40% of Agentic AI Projects Will Be Canceled by End of 2027 (Gartner, Jun 25 2025)Expose a Lie — "If we build it in-house, we own it"MIT report finds 95% of enterprises see no return on generative AI (Digital Commerce 360, Aug 25 2025)Open Source AI Models: Why 2026 is the Year They Rival Proprietary Giants (Swfte AI)The LLM Pricing Collapse of 2026: How to Build When Models Cost Almost Nothing (AI Magicx)DeepSeek V4: The Open-Source Model Frontier Labs Feared (Hello AI)The Data Advantage Myth: Why Proprietary Data Alone Won't Save You (Value Add VC)

Most AI advice comes from people who've never had to ship the thing. This first episode is the practitioner's read — from someone who builds enterprise AI for a living. The tested take on what's real, what's hype, and what to actually do. Case in point: the "autonomous agentic workforce" you're being sold is a roadmap slide, not a 2026 reality — and here are the receipts.This episode of Above the Noise — the unbiased AI brief for enterprise leaders:News Brief: Google's flagship launch was the cheaper model — the frontier race quietly became a price war · Every major vendor (IBM, ServiceNow/Accenture, Cognizant) pivoted to selling "agents in production + governance" — aka the cleanup crew for agents that didn't deliver.Deep Dive — Agentic AI, hype vs. ships: Agents work in narrow lanes (one health system cut documentation time 42%). But Gartner says 40%+ of agentic projects get canceled by 2027, Deloitte says only 21% have mature governance, and MIT says 95% of GenAI pilots show no measurable return. What to actually do about it.Expose a Lie: "AI agents will replace your team this year." Steelmanned, then dismantled with evidence and production experience — and why it persists.The question to sit with: Of every AI initiative in your org — how many would survive "show me the line on the P&L where this shows up"?No vendors. No hype. Just the signal.👉 Follow Above the Noise wherever you listen — a new episode every two weeks. If it was useful, share it with one leader who's tired of guessing, and leave a rating so more people find it. Between episodes, find Shaun on LinkedIn.🔗 Show Notes & SourcesEvery stat in this episode is sourced. Check the work yourself:News BriefGoogle debuts new AI models, personal AI agents to keep pace with OpenAI and Anthropic (CNBC, May 19 2026)How Google plans to win the AI war (Axios, May 21 2026)Think 2026: IBM Delivers the Blueprint for the AI Operating Model (IBM Newsroom, May 5 2026)ServiceNow and Accenture Launch Forward Deployed Engineering Program to Scale Agentic AI (Accenture, 2026)Cognizant Launches Secure AI Services to Help Enterprises Safely Scale Agentic Systems (Cognizant, May 7 2026)Deep Dive — Agentic AI: hype vs. shipsGartner Predicts Over 40% of Agentic AI Projects Will Be Canceled by End of 2027 (Gartner, June 25 2025)Gartner Warns of Agent Washing Risks in Supply Chain Planning Technology Market (Gartner, May 20 2026)The State of AI in the Enterprise 2026 (Deloitte)Agentic AI is scaling faster than guardrails (Deloitte Insights)MIT report: 95% of generative AI pilots at companies are failing (Fortune, Aug 18 2025)Agentic AI Reaches Tipping Point: 100% of Enterprises Plan to Expand Adoption in 2026 (CrewAI survey via Business Wire, Feb 11 2026)Enterprise AI adoption in 2026: Why 79% face challenges despite high investment (Writer)Expose a Lie — "AI agents will replace your team this year"Gartner: Over 40% of Agentic AI Projects Canceled by End of 2027 (Gartner, June 25 2025)Agent Washing: Disclosure Risks in the Emerging Market for AI Agents (Harvard Law Forum / Debevoise, Apr 16 2026)MIT report finds 95% of enterprises see no return on generative AI (Digital Commerce 360, Aug 25 2025)Background / Context2026 Hype Cycle for Agentic AI (Gartner)Agentic AI Statistics 2026: Global Enterprise Adoption (Accelirate)Topics covered: enterprise AI, agentic AI, AI agents, AI hype, AI ROI, AI governance, build vs buy, agent washing, Gartner, MIT, Deloitte, Google Gemini, IBM watsonx, CIO, enterprise leadershipHost: Shaun Gehring — engineering leader who builds enterprise AI and sells nothing. Opinions his own.