Proprietary Data and Workflow Control Drive AI-Driven Industry Reshuffling

Goldman Sachs conducted its third annual on-site AI survey in Silicon Valley on August 18-19. The study involved discussions with AI companies, venture capital firms, and academic researchers from Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley. The key findings highlighted four core judgments: the value of proprietary information will continue to rise; AI applications are expanding from information delivery to workflow execution; physical service and education platforms demonstrate greater resilience than business models reliant on white-collar headcount; and monetization pathways will expand beyond seat-based subscriptions.

The report emphasized that while model capabilities continue to improve, they still rely on external information that models cannot generate themselves. This benefits companies possessing unique, continuously updated datasets that are difficult for competitors to replicate. The uniqueness of data assets, control over workflows, and diversified monetization capabilities will determine which enterprises emerge victorious in this transformation.

The survey also highlighted the importance of workflow control, as AI has upgraded from merely retrieving information to drafting documents, coordinating tasks, and completing more complex professional workflows. Whoever controls the platform through which clients complete their work is positioned to capture economic value that exceeds that of a single data input provider. This evolution in AI has significant implications for companies such as TRI, FICO, and EFX.