The Model Is Not the Moat

This article argues that the competitive advantage in enterprise AI comes from governed context, semantic models, and operational data contracts rather than from the model itself. It explores how lakehouse design must evolve to support automated workflows, emphasizing that trusted AI answers depend on governed, fresh, lineaged, and semantically correct data. The article references Dremio Agentic Lakehouse and related research, outlines an architecture pattern with five layers (storage, catalog, execution, semantics, agent interface), and provides checklists for engineers, data owners, and executives. It is a technical guide for IT professionals focused on AI strategy and infrastructure.