Enterprises are chasing AI models at a dizzying pace, but the organizations pulling ahead are the ones that paused to build something less glamorous: a trusted, governed data foundation.

Pressure is mounting across industries, as research from Qlik and Enterprise Technology Research shows that data quality, availability and governance remain the top blockers to scaling agentic AI deployments. But a data strategy anchored in governance is not a constraint on AI momentum — it is the prerequisite for it, according to James Fisher (pictured), chief strategy officer at Qlik Technologies Inc.

“We’ve seen this big shift from trying to just apply AI to a problem to thinking about what is needed architecturally to bring that data together — at the right latency, in the right format — and deliver that in a way that it’s consumable to AI applications,” Fisher told theCUBE. “I think that’s a really positive shift that we’ve seen over the last couple of years.”

Fisher spoke with theCUBE’s Rebecca Knight and Rob Strechay at Qlik Connect 2026, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed AI architecture decisions, governed data as an accelerator and Qlik’s product roadmap for agentic analytics. (* Disclosure below.)

Governed data strategy as the foundation for enterprise AI

The urgency reflects a broader industry reckoning. Analysts warn that enterprise AI will stall not because models aren’t ready, but because governance isn’t keeping pace. Governance slowing AI delivery might still be a common chief information officer objection, but it’s not necessarily the right one, according to Fisher.

“I’m a big fan of the phrase ‘go slower to go faster,'” he said. “By creating and taking the time to build that foundation — to think about where it’s gonna be used, how it’s gonna be applied — just that little step, that little extra time you take there will provide exponential benefits long term, whether that’s performance of the AI application [or] whether that’s performance of the agent.”

That compounding logic also applies to data products — reusable, governed datasets built around specific consumer needs. Solving one use case with a well-structured data product tends to unlock the next, creating organizational momentum, Fisher noted. Qlik Answers is built on exactly that premise, pairing governed data products with a conversational AI interface so that decisions carry citations and explanations users can trust.

“While we’re all worrying about data infrastructures and building agents and the cost of deployment, I think it’s always important we understand about the user, about the individual that’s working with it,” Fisher said. “We need to not only democratize access to AI, but democratize the value that can come from it.”

Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of Qlik Connect 2026:

(* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for Qlik Connect. Neither Qlik, the sponsor of theCUBE’s event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE