--- title: "2026 ViB Conference Presentation: AI on the Payroll" description: Presentation on AI on the Payroll at VIB 2026 around operations, context, and human judgment for veteran-owned businesses, primes, and agencies. image: https://www.cinfinitysolutions.com/hubfs/AI%20On%20the%20Payroll%20Presentation%20Cover%20Image.png --- [Skip to content](https://www.cinfinitysolutions.com/insights/limitless/2026-vib-conference-presentation-ai-on-the-payroll#ci-main) [![C Infinity](https://www.cinfinitysolutions.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/c-infinity/images/horizontal-white.png) ![C Infinity](https://www.cinfinitysolutions.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/c-infinity/images/horizontal-dark-blue.png)](https://www.cinfinitysolutions.com) What we do [Clients & Industries](https://www.cinfinitysolutions.com/clients-and-industries) Conntinuum [Government](https://www.cinfinitysolutions.com/government) Insights Our Company [Get in touch](https://www.cinfinitysolutions.com/contact) #### The Outcomes We 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[AI](https://www.cinfinitysolutions.com/insights/limitless/tag/ai) # 2026 ViB Conference Presentation: AI on the Payroll [Christopher Coughlan](https://www.cinfinitysolutions.com/insights/limitless/author/christopher-coughlan) Nov 11, 2026, 4:30:13 PM ![\2026 ViB Conference Presentation: AI on the Payroll\](https://www.cinfinitysolutions.com/hubfs/AI%20On%20the%20Payroll%20Presentation%20Cover%20Image.png) At the Veterans In Business (VIB) 2026 National Conference in Palm Springs, Chris Coughlan gave a talk called **AI on the Payroll**. This post is less about what was on the slides and more about why we framed the talk the way we did. **Start from the room** VIB is a procurement event. The room holds veteran-owned businesses looking to grow, along with the corporate primes and government agencies who buy from them. Most of the AI conversation these audiences hear is about models: which one is smartest, cheapest, or next. That question rarely changes how the work gets done on Monday. So we started from a different premise. The most valuable AI in your business is not the smartest model. It is the one that knows how you work, and does the work with you. **Lead with operations, not headcount** Established small businesses lose hours to the back office: proposals, contracts, follow-ups, reporting. That is where AI pays off first. The return shows up as time given back to the people already on the team, not as roles eliminated. C Infinity runs with zero non-billable overhead, and this is how. **Context before tools** AI pays off when it has two things: your context and real work to do. Context means your voice, your templates, your rules, and your client history. Without it, the output reads as generic and has to be rewritten, and that is where most teams quit. That is why the talk paired putting AI to work with giving AI a second brain, instead of treating them as separate topics. **Keep the human where it matters** For this audience, relationships are the business. Primes and agencies buy from people they trust. So we didn’t frame AI around tasks it can’t do. We framed it around processes with human judgment checkpoints designed in from the start. **One message for buyers and sellers** We deliberately didn’t lead with a veteran-only frame. The same pattern applies to a veteran-owned firm, a prime’s sourcing team, and an agency’s procurement office. When buyer and seller share the same language, the conversation after the talk is easier. **Build, don’t just listen** A 30-minute talk can’t change how a business runs, but a working starting point can. Attendees picked a build and left with something real. AI drives the process. You bring the judgement. Topics [Innovation](https://www.cinfinitysolutions.com/insights/limitless/tag/innovation) [Talk & Event](https://www.cinfinitysolutions.com/insights/limitless/tag/talk-event) [AI](https://www.cinfinitysolutions.com/insights/limitless/tag/ai) ## Related reading ### [Engineering Beyond Vibe Coding: Build Products, Not Technical Debt Beyond Vibe Coding: Build Products, Not Technical Debt is the talk Chris Coughlan gave at the NVSBC ... Jun 16, 2026, 10:00:00 AM](https://www.cinfinitysolutions.com/insights/limitless/beyond-vibe-coding-vets26) ### [Engineering The Real Moat in Agentic AI Isn't Speed. It's Specs. There's a flawed premise running through most conversations about agentic AI for software developmen... Mar 10, 2026, 10:00:00 AM](https://www.cinfinitysolutions.com/insights/limitless/real-moat-agentic-ai-specs-not-speed) ### [Engineering Why Spec-Driven Delivery Beats Prompt-Driven Delivery The temptation with agentic coding tools is to skip the spec and go straight to the prompt. The mode... Jan 13, 2026, 9:00:00 AM](https://www.cinfinitysolutions.com/insights/limitless/why-spec-driven-delivery-beats-prompt-driven-delivery) ## We're ready when you are. A real read on whether we are the right fit. If we are, we will tell you what the work looks like. If we are not, we will tell you that too, and point you toward someone who is. Sometimes the right answer is "not yet." [Talk to us →](https://www.cinfinitysolutions.com/contact) [Try Conntinuum Spark Lab →](https://sparklab.conntinuum.com) Technology and AI solutions, delivered smoothly. Engineered with Conntinuum. 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