Three blockers are holding up enterprise AI adoption, says OutSystems CEO - and it's not the tech

When I first caught up with Woodson Martin last summer, he was only a few weeks into his new role as CEO of low-code app builder OutSystems. The discussion had the air of a man thinking out loud as he tested ideas for the future of the company, often in conversation with his customers.

When we spoke again as the year drew to a close, I wanted to hear what he’s learned from those customer conversations — and what they reveal about enterprise AI readiness heading into 2026.

The lesson that emerges isn’t that enterprises need persuading about AI — they’ve heard enough vendor evangelism, thought leadership, or exhortations to just ’AI harder’ — but that they need help actually getting it.

Based on Martin’s experience, the biggest issue today isn’t demand, but blockage — a multi-faceted problem encompassing talent gaps, confusion about AI’s purpose, and a noisy ...